The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Present
by AFightingDreamer
Summary: After a hard fought battle with the king of evil, link is cursed to an eternal slumber until the 'one of royal blood' finds him. Thousands of years pass, and he is found by a distant descendant of princess zelda. What will happen to him? How will he cope? Find out!
1. Back to the future

**Finally fixed it!**

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The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Present.  
I do not own the Legend of Zelda or any of its characters.  
Chapter 1

All was quiet. A cold wind swept across the once beautiful plains that had become a barren wasteland. A lone figure stood on top of a hill, leaning on his sword. He was tired, bleeding, and his shield arm was broken in several places. His green tunic was slashed and torn and he was missing one of his gauntlets. In the distance, he could hear the taunting roar of the beast called Ganon. His breath was slow and labored. He could barely stand much less fight. He was out of potions and fairies and any help was almost a day's journey away by now. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the smoking ruins that were once the beautiful city of Hyrule.

Anger welled up in his gut. The shining mark on his hand seemed to glow brighter, causing him to look at it. That symbol that changed his life and called him to a great destiny. The Triforce. A large triangle made up of three smaller triangles. The one in the right corner was glowing brighter than the other two. The Triforce of Courage. _"Come destined hero! Come and meet your doom!"_He looked up from his left hand towards the voice. His breath was ragged. He knew how this would end. He looked up to the sky, as if searching for something. His dirty blond locks covered his face. He spoke a silent prayer to the three goddesses, "Din, Farore, Nayru, please grant me the power to banish this evil from our land. Give me courage to face this foe..."

He took a deep breath, and charged forward, the sword of evil's bane held high and proud in the young warrior's hand. A cry escaped his lips, one of pure determination and fearless resolve. The Triforce on his hand began to glow even brighter, soon a golden light flooded the land. The beast, Ganon, roared in defiance and charged as well, _"Die you worthless insect!"_The sound of their blades crashing into one another shook the earth. The youth brandished his blade in a final effort to overcome his foe. The Master Sword, the blade evil one's may never touch, struck swift and true. The evil king roared in pain and rage as his life force left him. The warrior rolled to the side, just barely, as the towering beast crashed into the earth. Ganon's chest rose and fell slowly.

The brave warrior staggered towards the beast to deliver the final blow. _"How? How can the king of evil, be defeated by someone such as you?"_ The creature asked. His sword raised high, the boy thought a moment, "Because for every great evil, there is good that will rise against it and defeat it in the darkest hour." The beast bellowed laughter,_"Is that so? Hahaha, then hear this, young warrior. Until the one of the royal blood finds you, forever shall we sleep. At that time, you and I shall finish this endless cycle of death and rebirth. This is my curse, farewell Hero of Time. Hahahaha...ahhhh..."_His chest fell and rose no more. His body began to shrink into that of a regular man, then faded into the earth.

The youth sank to his knees, the Master Sword on the ground at his side. He looked around and saw a lone tree still standing in the field where his final battle had taken place. Slowly, and with much pain, he crawled over to the tree and leaned up against it. He felt tired. The tree seemed to swallow him as his eyes slowly closed. "Forgive me, princess. But I think i'll be taking my leave now..." The tree closed over his body, the last ray of light shining on his sleeping form before being covered in darkness.

Hundreds of years past. No more battles were waged between the two. Try as she may, the princess could never find the lost hero. Eventually, the land of Hyrule was forgotten. Its descendants scattered. As time went on, technology was discovered. Cities sprung up all over the place. Carts that moved without horses were created. People could talk to each other from miles away. And the young hero still slept. The field where he lay became a thick forest. A city had been built beside it. Its name was Hylla. And this is where the story of a man said to be the Hero of Time and became a legend, begins.

It was sunny today. A warm breeze blew in from the west. The cloudless sky made the sun shine without any hindrances. It was a very beautiful day. One person, however, did not appreciate the brightness of said day. Sunlight flooded the Japanese style house and into the bedroom of a particularly beautiful, sixteen year old, girl. Her chocolate brown hair framed her beautiful face, until she groaned, threw the covers over her head and turned away from the light that invaded her precious sleep. "Zelda! Wake up! You'll be late for school!" A voice called from down the hall. Once more, a groan was heard. The young woman, Zelda, seriously considered skipping today. She knew that such a thing was impossible for her, but the thought was oh so tempting.

Grudgingly, she lifted the covers off of her body and stretched, while stifling a yawn. She rose silently and walked over to her closet to grab her school uniform. She washed, brushed her teeth, and put on her clothes before heading downstairs for breakfast. When she reached the bottom of the stairs she was greeted by the smell of pancakes and eggs coming from the kitchen. She smiled to herself and walked in. At the stove was a slightly large man, with white hair and a large bald spot in the middle of his head. He was wearing an apron decorated with golden triangles and a red bird in the middle. Anyone who had seen this sight probably would have thought the man looked ridiculous but neither of the two cared.

"Hello father. What's for breakfast?" The girl asked. The man turned around from his skillet and smiled, "Ah! Zelda, finally awake I see?" He laughed and brought a plate of food to the small table that was in the center of the room. Zelda huffed and sat down, "I had a long night last night. Professor Shad just keeps piling work on us and doesn't even give us enough time to do it all, so I have to stay up all night to get it done!" She wined. Her father laughed and patted her head, "I noticed. However, you are the top in your class and it is a very prestigious school, so it is to be expected, eh?" Zelda simply pouted but agreed and ate her breakfast quickly.

She thanked her father for the food, grabbed her things, and rushed out the door. She was hurrying to meet up with one of her best friends. "Zeeeeeeelllllldaaaaa!" A voice cried. Said girl looked up and ran over to the owner of the voice. It was a young girl around her age with long, orange hair and bright, blue eyes. She was lightly tanned and had a horse charm necklace around her neck. "Hey Malon. Sorry I kinda overslept." Zelda greeted her friend apologetically. "S'okay. But guess what!?" Her friend asked excitedly. Zelda, always curious, tilted her head and asked, "What?" Malon practically screamed, "I got a new horse!" Zelda laughed. Malon's father owned the local ranch and raised very beautiful horses. "That's great Mal!" Zelda laughed and began walking, "What did you name it?" Malon followed in step behind her, "I named her Epona! She's soooooo cute!"

Both girls began chatting endlessly as they passed the great forest. _"Zelda."_ Zelda perked up, "Hmm? Did you say something?" Malon looked at her friend and replied, "No. Why?" Zelda looked all around for the owner of that voice. "I thought I heard a voice a second ago." Malon stopped walking and listened. After a while she said, "I didn't hear anything. Maybe you imagined it?" Zelda doubted that. It felt like a voice she knew, but she couldn't put her finger on it. _"Zelda. Come here."_The voice spoke once again. Zelda whipped her head towards the great forest and a cold gust of wind blew through the trees and past the pair. Zelda grabbed her skirt to make sure it didn't fly up until the wind died down. "It's coming from in there." she said, and began to walk towards the tall trees.

"Zelda! We shouldn't go in there! That place is dangerous! No one comes out of there!" Malon pleaded, trying to get her friend's attention. But her pleas fell on deaf ears. Zelda kept walking, listening for the voice that called to her. Malon, fearing for her friend's safety, followed behind. After they entered the forest, Zelda began to hear the voice grow louder with each step. _"Zelda. Zelda."_Malon followed close behind, worried and jumping at shadows. Finally, they reached a small glade that held a single tree in the center. It was glowing. The pair approached the tree and it began to grow brighter. Zelda reached out to touch it, overcome with wonder at the strange tree. She noticed that a symbol began to glow brightly on her left hand. The left part of the mark glowed bright, and the tree began to move.

Both girls screamed and fell back. A loud creaking and groaning came from the tree as its trunk began to split apart. A bright light enveloped the area, blinding the two young women. When it dimmed down they both looked at the spot where the tree used to be. In its place was a young man, around eighteen, dressed in odd clothing with a shield on his back and a sword at his side that glowed faintly with power. His dirty blonde locks covered his eyes but to the two women, it looked as though he were sleeping. His clothes were cut and torn but showed no signs of injury.

Both girls held their breath. A minute passed. Then another. Finally, Zelda decided to try and wake him up. "No! Are you crazy!?" Malon called out silently, "We don't know who this guy is. What if he's dangerous!? I know he's cute and everything but still! Zelda!" She was ignored. Zelda slowly made her way over to the sleeping boy. "Hello? Are you ok?" She asked gently, shaking him a little. The young man stirred a little and slowly opened his eyes and said, "Zelda...". Zelda gasped and ran back to where Malon was sitting. The young man got up and staggered to his feet. He looked around, ears twitching at every sound. His ocean blue eyes took in all of his surroundings before settling on the two in front of him. He slowly made his way forward a few steps before stumbling and falling on his face. He lay still, the only noise coming from his was the sound of his breathing.

Zelda, figuring that he obviously wasn't a threat, ran over to him and turned him on his back placing his head in her lap. 'He looks like he was in a fight or something.' She thought to herself. "Hey, what's your name?" she asked the strange boy lying in her lap. His eyes fluttered open again and stared deeply into her's, his face showing confusion. "Your highness? It's me, Link. Remember?" Zelda tilted her head to one side. 'Highness?'


	2. Meetings and reunions

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Present

I do not own the Legend of Zelda or any of its characters.

Chapter 2

Zelda looked at the strange boy in her lap. 'Link?' she wondered, 'who is that? And why did he call me "your highness"?' He looked equally confused. "Do I know you?" she asked, trying to get some information out of him. He furrowed his brow in concentration, and then looked at his surroundings again. A thought seemed to dawn on him and he looked at Zelda, panic stricken, rising up and grabbing her shoulders and asking quickly, "Where is Hyrule Castle!" Zelda, scared by his sudden outburst and that he had grabbed her stammered, "Uh….we-well….I…uh….Hyrule vanished a long time ago…."

His face fell. His earlier panic was replaced by horror and disbelief. "N-no. That can't be right….I was fighting in Hyrule field, I SAW the castle burning, I…" He struggled to remember, what had Ganon said to him before he had fallen asleep? Something about 'the one of royal blood'? He hadn't noticed that Zelda had retreated to her friend during his thoughts. "Zelda, this guy freaks me out!" Malon whispered, "He's obviously insane!" Zelda responded, "Think about it. I hear a strange voice, follow it to a hidden glade in the Great Forest, and he suddenly appears from inside a tree." Malon sighed, "O.K. so we're insane." Zelda rolled her eyes and was about to say something else when they heard Link shout, "The one of royal blood!" Both turned to him, "Huh?" They both inquired.

Link didn't seem to notice them but repeated the curse, _"Until the one of royal blood shall find you, forever shall we sleep…."_ He sank to the floor and hung his head. Who knows how long he's been out of commission. Months, years, decades even. But that didn't concern him; the only thing he thought about was the last part of Ganon's curse. _'At that time, you and I shall finish this endless cycle of death and rebirth…'_ Zelda and Malon glanced at each other and asked him, "Who are you exactly?" Link sighed, he might as well explain as best he could. No telling where, or rather when, he was. "My name is Link. I am a Hylian knight, born in the year of the Great War before the King of Hyrule united the country. I am known as the Hero of Time. During my final battle with the evil king, Ganondorf, he placed a curse on me that caused me to sleep until a descendant of the royal family found me. I don't know how long I have been asleep, but I do know that the evil king will return since I have awoken."

Zelda gasped. Some of her father's old books talked about a Great War, but that happened over a thousand years ago. Could this guy really be over a thousand years old? "So, this guy, this evil king or whatever, he isn't gonna like, come back right 'now', is he?" Malon asked, hopefully. Link shook his head, "There's no telling when he'll reappear. He might have already risen and is gathering an army somewhere, resurrecting his old minions." Malon gulped, "Oh…" Zelda asked, "Is there any way we can stop him?" Malon grabbed her arm and whispered in her ear, "'We'! Are you seriously gonna believe this guy's story! He could be some weird serial rapist or something!" Zelda looked at her friend like she was stupid, "Does he look like a serial rapist to you?" Malon looked over Zelda's shoulder at Link. Sure he looked pretty beat up, and definitely had that aura that said 'I will kill you if I had to.' But overall, he seemed like a nice guy. Handsome to boot. "Alright, I guess not. But still, what can we possibly do?"

Link spoke up, "Right now, it might be a good idea to get out of here." He sounded worried. He was standing, sword and shield in hand, looking into the bushes. Zelda and Malon both stood and asked, "Why? What's wrong?" Link didn't have to answer, because at that moment a large black shape jumped out of the bushes at the two young women. They screamed and closed their eyes, waiting for death. "Hyaaah!" They opened their eyes to see Link grappling with the beast. It was lean, with sharp teeth, and resembled a wolf. The creature snarled and snapped at Link, trying to get at his throat, but Link pushed up with all his might, which was a lot more difficult than usual considering he had lost one of his golden gauntlets, and used his shield to bash the creature in the face. The disoriented animal staggered around for a few seconds before Link drove his blade into the creature's side. It fell without another sound. Link withdrew his blade and wiped it on a cloth he kept in his pouch, just in case. That's when he noticed the Master Sword looked…..different. It was no longer the deep purple it once was. Instead it was a teal-ish color. The blade was shorter, and its familiar, wing shaped hilt was gone. It no longer glowed with power. Zelda and Malon recovered from their shock, "What was that thing?"

Link tore himself from his sword and replied, "A wolfos, a deadly creature that usually hunts in packs." Both girls looked over their shoulders and into the bushes, "So there are more of them?" He nodded, "We need to get out of here now! Where did you two come from?" Zelda looked in all directions frantically but she couldn't see any signs of where they had entered. "I-I don't know!" Link could hear the other wolfos closing in, he looked everywhere for a sign that would tell him where to go. _'Master….this way…' _Link turned and saw a figure floating in the distance. She looked like a humanoid crystal. Her 'body' was a light blue and her 'clothes' were dark purple and black laced with green on her leggings.

She pointed in a direction and floated away. Not taking the time to question it he sheathed his sword and shield, grabbed the girl's hands and took off into the woods. He heard the howls of the wolfos as they gave chase. Up ahead he saw the outline of the mysterious girl floating a couple of yards ahead. "Where are we going!" Zelda yelled. "Just trust me!" Link replied and kept following the floating figure. Soon they saw a light growing brighter as they raced towards it. The wolfos hot on their tails not five feet behind snarled and barked. They kept running faster and faster until finally they burst through the trees and past the first few buildings. When they finally stopped running they tried to catch their breath. Malon asked him, "How did you know which way was out?" Link was panting heavily, "I don't know. Did you see the girl too?" Malon looked at Zelda, who was equally confused, "What girl?" "The one that….never mind. We need to go somewhere safe." He began looking around. What kind of houses were these? They were made of some kind of stone. Not like the mud and thatched houses he was used to seeing.

Zelda spoke up, "We can go back to my place. My father has some old texts that might help you out. He's into ancient history and stuff like that. I'm sure he'd love to meet you." Link nodded, "Lead the way." Malon immediately asked, "Zelda what about school? Professor Shad will be extremely angry if you didn't show up without a good excuse." Zelda turned to her friend, "I think an evil king coming back to destroy the world and an out of time knight are a good enough excuse. But I don't think that he'd believe that so I'm gonna go with a sore throat or something." With that she walked away, indicating for link to follow her. Malon looked back from the direction to school, and Zelda, then decided to go against her better judgment and cried, "Wait up!" She ran to catch up to them.

Back in the forest, the wolfos were bowing their heads and whimpering. A man with black armor was sitting on a makeshift throne and was listening to the beasts as they told him of their failure to capture the three teens. He chuckled, "There, there, my friends. No need to worry, I should have known you were not enough to capture the 'Hero of Time' and the 'Princess of Destiny'. I shall deal with them myself. For now, I must attend to other matters. It seems the Master Sword has lost its power after being asleep for so long. The perfect opportunity for me! Hahahahaha!" He cackled with laughter, the deep, booming sound of his voice resounding throughout the area. The wolfos howled in excitement.

Zelda, Malon, and Link walked up the stairs to Zelda's house. "Woah. Not exactly a castle, but still." Link commented as he strode through the doorway. Zelda took off her shoes and waited for the others to do the same, "So, if I'm supposed to be the descendant of a princess, how did you know her?" Link was in the process of taking off his large leather boots when he stopped. He seemed lost in a happy memory, he smiled sadly. "Like I said before, I am a Hylian knight. We're usually commanded by our princess directly." He lied. It wasn't exactly a lie. It was true that 'his' Zelda gave her orders to the knights personally, but that wasn't the whole truth of their relationship. Zelda shrugged and began to think of how she'd explain this to her father. Link finished taking off his boots and looked around the entryway. It was definitely unlike the houses he had been in, but then again, things change with time. He knew that better than anyone. He then found himself staring at Zelda. There were a few minor differences between the two, but there was no doubt. She was of the royal bloodline. The only thing that bothered him was her clothes. This must be a very strange place because back in his time, dresses were never that short! Or revealing….

He shook that thought from his head. He may be an eighteen year old man, but he still had respect for women. From somewhere in the house they heard a deep voice humming what seemed to be a lullaby. Link recognized this as Zelda's Lullaby. "Father? Can you come here? I need help." The humming stopped and the man slowly entered the hallway. "Zelda? What are you doing here? Did something happen?" He asked worriedly. Then he noticed Link and did a double take at his odd clothing and armed appearance, "And who might you be?" Zelda walked over to her father and took his hand, "You might want to sit down. This will take a while." The aging man looked from his daughter, to Link and nodded, allowing Zelda to lead him into the living room.

~Hours later~

Zelda's father, Kaepora was his name, was staring at Link with great interest and concern. "So you're from the Great War era!" He asked excitedly. Link nodded. "And you say a great evil is rising now that you have awakened from your slumber?" Again, Link nodded. "This is extraordinary! And distressing." He leaned forward and placed his chin against his fist, "How can we stop something as evil and powerful as that?" Link spoke up, "There is only one weapon that can defeat him. The Master Sword." Kaepora looked up, "The evil destroying sword? That was lost for centuries…..oh right." He noticed the blade at Link's side. Now Malon spoke up, "So all we have to do is find this Ganondorf guy, you do your fancy sword swinging, and the world is safe again, right?" Link didn't answer. He simply looked at the blade. Kaepora noticed this and asked, "Is something wrong my boy?" Link sighed, "Actually, there's a problem. For some reason, the Master Sword has lost its power."

Everyone in the room looked at the sword now. "So what you're saying is…." Link nodded gravely, "Yes, this sword is useless against the evil king as it is now." Everyone sighed. Zelda began to think. Could there be a way to fix the sword? "Link, is there a way to restore its power?" Link was about to answer when a bright light surrounded the sword. Everyone shielded their eyes. When it died down, they saw a figure standing in front of them. It was the girl Link saw from earlier! "Who are you!" Kaepora asked. The girl disregarded him and looked at Link. "Hello, Master. It's been a while…" All eyes were on Link and the mysterious girl that suddenly appeared. "And you are…?" Link had no clue as to who she was. However, somewhere in the back of his mind, he recognized her. "My apologies master. I mistook you for your ancestor. My personal designation is Fi. I am the spirit that resides within the sword. And you are my master."

Link and company gazed at the girl named Fi. "As to your previous question, there is a way to return the Master Sword to its former state." All began to listen closely. "You must find the three sacred flames of the goddesses that are hidden somewhere in this land. They will temper the blade and return its power to vanquish evil." Link thought for a moment. He had no idea where to begin looking for something like that. The world had changed too much. "I think I have some old manuscripts that spoke of three sacred flames somewhere in my library. It will take some time to find them. Until then, please feel free to stay here." Link nodded gratefully, "Thank you." Zelda spoke up, "What will he do all day father? We can't let him roam the streets dressed like that, he'd cause a riot!" Kaepora thought for a minute and said, "It might be better if he went with you to school for the time being."

Zelda almost fell out of her chair, "Huh! Father you can't be serious!" Link watched this exchange with intense curiosity. "He'd never be able to blend in!" Kaepora nodded, "Yes, but it would be a faster way to get him up to date. He could also learn the layout of Hylla and the surrounding provinces." Link nodded, "Plus I have to keep an eye on you. Ganondorf will be after you as well." Zelda's pulse quickened with fear, "Why me?" Link held up his left hand. The Triforce symbol was glowing. "Because, to complete the Triforce, he needs all three pieces. I have the Triforce of Courage. Ganondorf holds the Triforce of Power. You, Zelda, hold the final piece. The Triforce of Wisdom.

Malon piped up, "So that's why she's the top in her class! She cheated!" Everyone in the room looked at the girl dumbstruck. Zelda still didn't like the idea, but began to see the sense in it. Kaepora clapped his hands and stood, "Alright! It's settled, Link will accompany you to school until he gets a lead. For now, I will make us something to eat!" Link perked up at the mention of food. Malon said goodbye and went home saying she couldn't stay and that she'd have to explain to her father what happened. After she had left, Zelda took Link to one of the guest rooms. "You can sleep here. Father will have dinner ready in a little bit." Link nodded and proceeded to remove his equipment. Zelda watched him from the doorway as he began his routine of checking his inventory. He laid his sword and shield in the corner. Then he removed a pouch at his side and began to take items out of it. Zelda stared as he pulled out items twice the size of the bag. There was a bow, a huge hammer, and many other things.

"How do you carry all of that stuff in that tiny thing?" Zelda asked. Link looked up, "Hmm? Oh, the pouch is enchanted. I got it when I was a boy and still lived with the Kokiri…" He stopped. Sadness began to wash over him. Zelda looked at him sympathetically. "Zelda! Link! Food's ready!" Link snapped out of his sad state and hurriedly walked out of the room. 'Well at least I know food is a good way to get him going.' She chuckled to herself and walked towards the dining room. As she passed the courtyard that made up the middle of the house, she felt a dark presence lurking in the shadows. She turned and looked all around but saw nothing. She shrugged and kept walking but stayed alert. A dark figure was crouching atop the roof, and with a leap, disappeared into the night.

After dinner Link made his way back to his room and took off his tunic. It was torn and dirty. He would need to repair and wash it later. He removed the cap from his head and shook his dirty blonde hair. He put his clothes to the side and looked around the room. He saw a simple drawer in the corner of his room with a small flower in a pot on top of it. On the ground there was a mat with a quilt on top of it. He figured that this was how people slept in this era and lay down to sleep. He slowly closed his eyes and descended into his dreams, worried about what the next day would bring.

Meanwhile, in another part of the house, Zelda was getting ready to sleep as well. She was brushing her hair when the glowing symbol on her hand caught her eye. So much had happened that day. She wondered about the boy. He looked around her age but his eyes made him seem much older. He was also very handsome… Zelda felt her cheeks turn red slightly and she shook her head furiously. She barely even knew the guy! Still, she felt as if she had known him a lifetime. She considered these thoughts as she soon fell fast asleep.


	3. School Daze

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Present

I do not own The Legend of Zelda© or any of its characters.

Chapter 3: School Daze.

There was smoke everywhere. The cries of the dying could be heard everywhere, only to be drowned out by the falling debris of Hyrule Castle. The clash of metal and roar of monsters sounded in her ear. Zelda whipped around expecting to meet the cold steel or sharp teeth. Instead she met the table next to her with her head. With a hiss of pain she began to nurture the, now sore, spot. Slowly she shook the sleep from her eyes. Looking around, she began to wonder what that dream was. That place. Those smells. They seemed, familiar…. But how could that be? She had never seen that place before. Still. She could not shake the feeling that she 'had' been there. Her thoughts began to turn to the boy from last night.

Was that a dream as well?

Getting up quietly, she tip-toed to his room and slowly opened the sliding door. The room was empty. Nothing seemed out of place. She sighed, "Maybe I did dream the whole thing up…" She yawned and walked back to her room. _'Thock.'_ She stopped to listen. What was that? She decided that it was probably her father shuffling about and had knocked something over. She dressed, washed up, and headed to the dining room for some breakfast. As she passed the courtyard, she noticed something sticking out of the ground. Curious, she walked over to examine it. It was an arrow. It looked in good condition, but that didn't explain where it had come from. _'Thock.'_ Her head swiveled around as another arrow embedded itself into the trunk of a tree at the center of the courtyard. Looking all around she could not find the source of the arrows until she heard, "Tch! Looks like all that sleep drained my strength a little."

Startled she looked behind her. Nothing. That could only mean…. She looked up and there he was, bow in hand and a quiver full of arrows on his back. With a leap he sailed over her and landed with hardly a sound. He walked over to the tree and examined it. It was a good shot. Dead center, about chest high. A perfect kill. Still, Link frowned as if displeased, sighed, and removed the arrow. She then realized that he was only wearing pants and a thin white shirt. The shirt cut off just below the shoulder, leaving his arms exposed. She also noticed small scars that lined his arm. She began to wonder just how many battles he had been in before he had fallen asleep. He seemed to finally notice her presence, or acknowledge it rather, and turned to face her. "Good morning Princess," He greeted. Zelda folded her arms, "I'm not a princess." Link seemed to realize his mistake and apologized, "Sorry, I'm just so used to it." She huffed and walked out, "Well whatever. My father should have some clothes for you so you should go see him." Link nodded and proceeded to put away his bow and arrows. Using his sharp hearing he quickly located the slightly, portly man.

Link greeted Kaepora, which caused him to jump. "Woah! Link, my boy, don't sneak up on me like that!" Link scratched the back of his head, apologetically, "Sorry, during my travels I had to be quiet to sneak up on my enemies. Over time I just kept walking like that." Kaepora chuckled, "I understand. Oh! I have some clothes for you so you can accompany Zelda to school." After a few minutes of shuffling around in a drawer Kaepora held a pair of dark pants and a button up, white collared, shirt. He was also handed a tie, which Link had no idea how to use it. When Kaepora had left, he undressed and put the pants on first. Then the shirt. He became annoyed with the little buttons that were supposed to go through the tiny holes on the other side (giggity). When he finally had that done, he heard the door open and Zelda poked her head through. "Are you done yet? I'm gonna be late for school!" She noticed that his tie was around his waist like a crude belt. "What are you doing?" "Dressing," He stated simply.

Zelda rolled her eyes and unwrapped the tie from around his waist, "That's not where that goes. It goes right here, like this." She began to tie the tie around his neck. As she was fumbling with the tie she began to notice their close proximity. She tried to focus on the tie, but kept coming back to his eyes. They were a deep blue. Kindness radiated from them as well as courage. But as she kept looking she noticed something else. Something that he had tried to keep hidden from everyone since he started his journey as a small boy. Sorrow, loneliness, and fear. She didn't have time to think about it too long before his voice brought her back to reality, "Umm, Princess? I think it's a little too tight." She blinked and looked at it. Sure enough, while she was lost in thought, she had tightened it too tight around his neck. She sighed and apologized, loosening it a little. "Sorry, I was thinking. And I thought I told you not to call me princess." He shrugged and chuckled a bit, "Forgive me, I can't seem to help myself." After a little adjusting, Zelda was finally satisfied and told him to come downstairs for breakfast. He brightened up and followed quickly. 'Like a dog.' She thought to herself.

Breakfast consisted of toast, eggs, bacon, and a 'lot' of questions. How did that thing make the break so crunchy? Where did the heat come from that cook the eggs? What exactly was bacon? Zelda thought her head was gonna explode. If he kept asking questions about simple stuff like this, school was going to be a nightmare. After breakfast, she and Link left the house and began walking down the road, Link following behind. "It's probably better if you kept quiet while we are at school. People would think you were a freak." Link laughed, "Considering I'm over a thousand years old I don't think that assumption to be too farfetched." But otherwise, he agreed to keep silent, he wasn't usually a talker anyways. Something about Zelda, 'his' Zelda, just brought it out of him. That seemed to be the case with this one as well. "Heeeeeeeeeey!" Both turned around and saw Malon running towards them.

After Malon had caught her breath she greeted the two and began chatting with Zelda. Link smiled 'Yep. Malon is the same as always. Even in this time.' They emerged at an intersection where cars and people were rushing by trying to get to work, home, or school. Link marveled at the iron carts that moved on their own. Over on one of the walkways a mother was busy chatting on the phone while walking across, a child was behind her playing with a ball. As he was bouncing it, it hit a crack in the street and rolled out into the middle of the intersection. Unknown to his mother, he ran out to retrieve his toy. While he was out there, a driver who wasn't paying attention didn't see the red light and kept going, right at the boy. The boy picked up his ball and noticed the car speeding towards him, the driver noticed the boy as well and slammed on brakes, he wouldn't be able to stop in time! The mother noticed the missing child and called out for him, screaming. The boy was frozen with fear. The screeching of tires and the scream of the mother filled the air. There was a loud thud as metal came in contact with a body.

Pain. Link felt it as soon as the car collided with his leg as he grabbed the child and tried to roll to safety. It just barely nicked him. The boy in his arms was too startled to speak, as well as everyone else who had witnessed it. The boy overcame his shock and began to cry. Link sat on a knee and put his hands on the boy's shoulders, "It's all right, little one. You're safe now. You should be more careful." The boy hiccupped and nodded, trying to dry his tears. The mother ran over and cradled her child, thanking Link all the while. Zelda and Malon, meanwhile, stared awestruck. Link was fast. Really fast. Malon let out a low whistle, "Wow. Looks like he really is a hero. Jumping in front of that car to save that kid. Pretty cool." Zelda nodded slowly. 'Yeah. Pretty cool….' Link, after making sure the boy was indeed safe, returned to the two asking if they were ready to go, like nothing had happened. They nodded and began to walk again.

"So do you do stuff like that on a regular basis?" Malon asked him. Link thought for a moment, and then said, "I help anyone in need." She smiled, "I'm sure you got tons of rewards and stuff for it." Link shook his head, "I don't need anything. I'm simply happy that I can be of help to others." Malon almost swooned, "Just like a true hero." Zelda, however, simply looked at him. The emotions that she had seen in his eyes earlier that morning made her wonder if that was true. Did he really enjoy helping others and getting nothing in return? Did his life matter so little to him?

She couldn't tell as he was walking with a smile on his face and his eyes looking forward. As much as it confused her, she couldn't help but admire it somehow. She put her thoughts aside. 'Let's get through school first. Stuff like that can wait till later.' They reached the school building and headed inside. Link just couldn't stop looking at everything with that dumb look on his face. Which, even Zelda had to admit, looked kinda cute. It reminded her of a small boy walking into an amusement park, trying to decide what he wanted to do first. Link mentally pointed out that over the years, people had become less modest. He figured that everyone at 'school' would dress like Zelda had after she explained it was a uniform that she had to wear. But some girls here took that a little too far.

They stopped in front of a door with the word 'Office' painted over it. Zelda opened the door and told Link to go inside. She followed after him, and Malon after her. The inside was grey with a few chairs and a small desk that sat next to a window. Behind the desk, was an old woman. Old was an understatement, however. She looked ancient. Her wrinkles looked like the shifting dunes of the Gerudo Desert. Zelda walked over to the woman and politely gained her attention. She began speaking and motioning towards Link who was busy looking at the light fixture in the ceiling. He nudged Malon next to him and pointed at it, "How does it give off light without a flame?" Malon thought a moment. How could she explain this? "Well, it uses electricity, and that makes light." Link was still confused. Electricity? Like lightning? Have human beings really harnessed the power of lightning?

Zelda had finished her conversation with the elderly lady and escorted the two out. "Alright, everything is set. Your name is Link from the city of Ordon. You transferred here after your parents had to leave for a trip around the world and sent you to your uncle's, my father's, house to stay until they got back." He nodded, and followed Zelda to the classroom. When they had walked in, everybody stared at them. Especially Link. Some of the girls in the room giggled amongst themselves, blushing. The guys seemed to be sizing him up. Others simply looked at him with a bored expression and then turned back to their earlier conversations. Zelda went and took her seat while Malon dragged him to a seat near her. The door to the classroom opened and shut again. The room went dead silent. A man with round glasses, and medium cut, orange hair, walked to the front and sat his things down.

'This must be the commander.' Link thought. He fumbled around in his desk for something. A small card on his desk read, 'Professor Shad.' The man pushed up on his glasses and wrote on the board behind him. 'The history of lost civilizations.' He turned back around to face the class, "Alright class, today we will be talking about civilizations that have disappeared through the ages. Anyone have an idea which ones I am talking about?" No one raised their hands. He looked around, "Alright, maybe if I have you write an essay on them you would remember it clearly." Almost all hands shot up. "Yes. You in the back." Professor Shad pointed to a small boy with blonde hair, "Fledge, stand up and tell me the names of the civilizations we discussed last week." The boy slowly stood up, "Y-yes sir. Umm….there was the Mayan, the Aztecs, and the Hylians." Satisfied with this answer Prof. Shad allowed the boy to be seated. Link, however, was intently listening.

"The one we will be focusing on today are the Hylians." Zelda was also listening. She had never paid much attention to it before, but it would be interesting to see what Link's world was like. "As you all know, or should know anyway, the land of Hyrule was lost over a thousand years ago with little to no trace left." He droned on and on about how little they knew and how much they could learn if they could find more substantial evidence. "However, there is something we did find. It was a stone tablet with odd runes inscribed on it. Obviously it was the language of their time, but after it was translated, scientists discovered something interesting about it." Prof. Shad reached up and pulled down a cord that was hanging from the board. It unraveled and showed a picture of a black slab of rock that had different shapes written on it. Link tensed, he knew what it said. Zelda noticed this and looked back at it, waiting for the professor to explain.

"As of right now, we don't know enough of their culture and language to translate it, however…" He was cut off as Link stood up and began speaking in an odd language. Everyone stared at him, Zelda silently wanted to throttle him. After he had finished speaking Prof. Shad gave him an odd look, "Would you care to explain why you are interrupting my class and speaking gibberish?" Link said nothing for a minute, then, "This poem is dedicated to the members of the dearly departed royal family." Prof. Shad frowned and narrowed his eyes, "Pardon?" Link was about to say something else when Zelda stood up quickly and grabbed his arm, "Forgive him Prof. he isn't feeling well." Link looked at Zelda wondering what was going on, she didn't look at him. She'd deal with him later. "Ah, Zelda, nice to see you again. We missed you yesterday. I hope you have a good excuse." Zelda mentally kicked herself, this was exactly what she was hoping to avoid. One more thing she was going to discuss with Link later.

"Well, you see, I….umm….I was helping my cousin here move in. He needed help," She quickly lied. Prof. Shad raised an eyebrow, but simply said, "If an outburst like this happens again I will be forced to take disciplinary actions. I will forget about it this time," and turned back to the board. Link tilted his head to one side before Zelda grabbed him by his ear and whispered, threateningly, "You and I are going to have a talk about this later," then left to go back to her seat. Link, deciding not to make her any angrier, kept quiet the rest of the lesson. A bell sounded and the students all left, "Young man. Stay, if you would please," Shad called out to Link. Zelda stopped and waited. "Only you, please." Zelda reluctantly left the room.

Shad took off his glasses, rubbed his eyes, and set them down on his desk. "Now, if you would please tell me how you know the Hylian language," he asked. Link began to remember what Zelda's father had said to him during breakfast after he finished asking about the toaster, _'Listen my boy, the last thing we need is for anyone to find out you aren't from this time. Do not give yourself away no matter what."_ Link looked at the Prof. and shrugged with a small smile on his face, "I…uh…learned it from my parents." That wasn't entirely false. Still the Prof. raised an eyebrow, "What kind of work do they do?" Link scratched his head, "They….study…ancient places." Shad's eyes brightened a little, and then resumed their normal position, "I see. I would like to meet them someday." Link nodded and then walked out, but not before Shad noticed a mark on his left hand.

At lunch Zelda dragged him to a corner outside and pointed a finger in his face, "What. The. Heck. Was. That!" She poked him as she said each word. "Uh….I…umm…" Link felt that if he responded she'd get even angrier so he just kept stammering. In turn, she grabbed her hair in frustration, "Didn't I tell you to keep quiet!" Link quickly replied, "Yes, but you didn't say that I could not speak." She wanted to punch him, "That's the same thing!" Link began to notice a group of people gathering to watch, "Uh, Princess? You might want to keep it down. Ow!" He winced in pain as she stamped on his foot, "Quit calling me that!" Link frowned and nursed his foot. Monsters he could handle. Angry, teenage, girls? Not so much. Though there wasn't much of a difference. He'd never say that out loud though. "Ugh. Fine, let's just try to get through the rest of today without any more incidents. He nodded. However, things never seem to go his way when it came to laying low.

Zelda sighed as they walked home. Her school life was officially ruined. Everyone kept asking if Link was a crazy person after the classroom incident. During lunch, he ate his food with his hands and during gym they had played dodge ball and Link had thrown the ball so hard that it broke a guy's nose. Link walked behind with his hands behind his head as he tried to assess what he had done wrong. When he saw the Hylian text something made him stand up and read it. He knew that he had read it somewhere before. At lunch everybody was using strange items to eat their food. He had never used them before so he decided to eat with his hands so he wouldn't have to bother Zelda with more questions. At gym, he simply did as he was told. Knock the other people out. Still, something about all that seemed to make her upset. The sun was setting low in the sky causing it to turn a light red-orange color. "I'm sorry, Zelda. Whatever I have done to make you angry with me, please forgive me."

She turned around to tell him not to worry about it when she noticed him bowing, "Stop that! Get up!" She grabbed him by the arm and tried to pull him to his feet. She expected him to resist, not stand up so quickly. She lost her balance and began to fall backwards. Link's reflexes took over and he placed a hand behind her back while scooping up her legs. "Are you alright?" Link asked with concern. She sat there blinking before she realized he was carrying her. Her cheeks burned furiously and she replied, "Y-yes! I'm fine, thank you, now put me down!" He lowered her to her feet and she stepped away, turning her face to hide the blush. "Come on. Father will be worried if we stay out too late." She began walking again, quicker this time. Link sighed. Great, now she's angry with me again. He sighed again and followed her.

Later that night, Zelda was brushing her hair and getting ready for bed. Her mind began to wander back to what had happened. When Link had read that tablet, it seemed like he wasn't just translating. It was more like he remembered it. _'This poem is dedicated to the dearly departed members of the royal family.'_ She wanted to know what the poem was, and why it sounded so familiar. Soon, her thoughts went to earlier when he had caught her. Her cheeks tinted pink as she recalled the feeling. Despite not knowing him very well, she had felt safe. His scent still lingered in her nose after he had put her down. He smelled like the forest, which wasn't that hard to believe since he slept in one for over a thousand years. Still, it was nice.

Link began to look through his pack and see what all he needed to resupply. While he was rummaging he pulled out a small blue instrument. He stopped and looked at it, smiling fondly. The Ocarina of Time. He sat there looking at it for a while. 'I should probably see if it still works…' he decided. Zelda was just about to lie down when she heard a sound. It was music coming from outside. She opened her door and listened. It was coming from the courtyard. She silently made her way down the hall and stopped when she reached her destination. Sitting in the tree was Link, playing a small instrument that looked like a flute of some kind. The song he was playing sounded familiar and it made Zelda drowsy. Careful not to alert him to her presence, she sat down against the wall and listened silently to the one man symphony. She had never noticed when her eyes had shut, or when sleep finally took her. But what she did know was she was sure she saw Link crying.

Link carefully picked the sleeping girl up and took her back into her room, placing her underneath her covers. He had noticed her before she had even made it to him but did not want to stop playing. The song brought back memories of 'his' Zelda. Watching this one fall asleep to the same song made him smile a bit. Same Zelda, different time. Her chest slowly rose and fell in her sleep. He tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear, and then whispered, "Goodnight, Princess. Sweet dreams." Slowly he got up, walked out, and quietly shut the door.


	4. Clash of feelings

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Present

I do not own The Legend of Zelda© or any of its characters.

Chapter 4: Feelings

"_Who…are you! How did you get past the guards?" _Zelda heard herself say. She was looking at Link, but he seemed…..younger. Much younger. Around ten at least. Floating beside him was a ball of light that kept chattering on about who they were but she wasn't focused on it. Her eyes were locked onto his. Then it changed. She was on the back of a horse. Smoke and flames rose up in columns behind her as she galloped away from the castle. Once she passed the gate, she saw Link standing there, worried. It changed again. This time, she was floating in the air! Clouds passed below her feet and Link stood not that far away from her.

He seemed sad and hurt. She noticed that while she was admiring the scenery that her dream self was talking to him. Goodbye? That's what she had heard. Something about a goodbye. She saw Link's expression and almost tried to reach out to him. But he set his jaw, straightened up, and dropped to one knee. _"I am the hero of time. No matter when, no matter where, for Hyrule, and for Princess Zelda…. I will fight."_ She watched as he handed her the instrument he had been playing before she fell asleep. She took it in her hands and began to play the exact same tune. A bright light enveloped him and he rose into the sky until he disappeared from sight. She stood there for a moment and let her hands drop to her sides. Was that really the right choice? To simply send him home after all he had done? _"Zelda….wake up."_ Startled, she looked around. Nobody was there. _"Zelda. Wake up princess…"_ Then she felt a jolt.

"Waah!" She sat straight up. There was a loud thud as the person who was shaking her jumped back in surprise and landed on his butt. She slowly blinked sleep from her eyes and looked at the person in front of her. "Link? How did I get in my room? Wait, more importantly, why are 'you' in my room?" Her voice took a dangerous tone. He waved his hands in front of him quickly, "It's not like that! I was told to come wake you up so you wouldn't be late!" She cocked an eyebrow and looked at the small digital clock beside her bed. Oh crap! She had really slept in! "Ok thank you! I'll be ready in a sec!" Link nodded and released a sigh of relief.

He thought he was in real trouble. As he was getting up, Zelda remembered her dream, and of the day before. She was sure that Link had carried her to her room after she had fallen asleep. _"Goodnight, princess. Sweet dreams."_ That had been Link's voice. The door closed shut and she began to dress. The dreams kept playing through her mind. Why was she dreaming about him? Her mind brought up the moment when he had caught her before she fell. She shook her head. No way. There is no way she could possibly be falling for him. And yet…..The way his hair was always messy, his rugged looks, his eyes, everything about him seemed familiar, and perfect. Especially his eyes. Those deep, cobalt blue, eyes. She shook again. No! She didn't know this guy! She finished dressing and walked out towards the kitchen. She ate breakfast hurriedly and began walking to school without waiting for Link. He had no trouble finding and keeping up, however.

Malon joined them shortly after but noticed something wasn't right with Zelda. They had noticed a poster for a famous band. The indigo-gos. "What are you looking at?" Link asked as he leaned over Zelda's shoulder to get a better look at the picture. Noticing his close proximity she immediately turned red, turned to face him, and pushed him away crying, "Hey give me some space you're too close!" Link frowned and backed up, "Uhh…..sorry princess…" She caught herself staring into his eyes and turned around quickly. Her heart felt like exploding. She began walking away. Malon saw the whole thing, and after watching Zelda walk off and Link sit there scratching the back of his head, a mischievous glint sparkled in her eye.

She asked Link to hang back a ways so she could talk to Zelda. He didn't argue. Was she still mad at what he did the other day? Malon trotted up beside Zelda and began humming nonchalantly. Zelda was trying to focus on just getting to school. "You liiiiiiiike him!" Malon said as she nudged Zelda's shoulder. Malon wasn't known for being….discreet. Malon felt a hand clap around her mouth, "Shhh! No I don't!" Malon pulled her hand away and grinned. Malon may not be as smart as Zelda, but she could read people like a book. "Do too." Zelda looked over her shoulder at Link to see if he heard but, thankfully for her, he was more interested in the power lines than their conversation. She sighed in relief and turned back to Malon, "You're crazy. I don't even know him." "Well he seems to know you." "He knew a different me. I mean she wasn't me, but she was me in a sense, but…..arrgh! Just cut it out ok!" Malon giggled, "Well if you don't want him, can I have him?"

Zelda looked at her quickly. Was she serious? Zelda couldn't tell. "What!" "Ha! I knew it!" Zelda sighed, there was no arguing with Malon. Malon would be victorious whether she was right or not. "So what are you going to do?" Malon asked as they sat down and got ready for class. "Nothing, because that's exactly what it is." Malon rolled her eyes and took her seat. Link sat down too, casting a sideways glance at Zelda. She was obviously mad at him for something. He would have to be very careful today. Shad's lesson was extremely boring and eventually resulted in some kids falling asleep, including Malon. Link didn't pay attention anyways but that was because he couldn't understand any of it. What the heck did knowing a bunch of numbers that made more numbers help anything? Instead he was thinking of what the sword spirit had said to him before. Three flames…..why did that sound so familiar?

Zelda, for once, couldn't concentrate either. She began thinking of the dream she had last night. 'It wasn't a dream really,' she thought, 'It felt more like a memory…' She glanced back at Link. He seemed deep in thought. He noticed her looking at him and he turned his head towards her and smiled. She whipped her head back up front leaving Link confused. She wished he wouldn't smile at her like that. It made her feel even more confused about her current emotional distress. Why did he have to look so frickin cute when he smiled! Zelda let out an exasperated sigh before slumping forward on her desk, "Oh come now Miss Zelda, are my lectures really 'that' bad?" Zelda's cheeks turned even redder, this time from a different kind of embarrassment. "N-no sir! I was just….uhh…" She fumbled for an answer when Malon shot up from her desk and yelled, "My cows!" Everyone began to laugh uncontrollably and Zelda silently thanked Malon's tendency to yell in her sleep. Shad began calming everyone down before continuing his lesson.

At lunch, Link just stared at his food while the others ate. He didn't want to eat with his hands again, but he didn't know how to use the strange utensils that the others were using. They were pretty much two little sticks. His stomach cried out to him for mercy. Zelda noticed, "Why aren't you eating?" He gulped, "Uh…no reason. I'm just not that hungry…" 'Grrrrrrrrrr.' Zelda cocked an eyebrow. Malon laughed, "Zelda. He doesn't know how to use chopsticks." Zelda looked at Malon, then back to Link, who had developed a sudden interest in the floor. Zelda sighed, "It isn't that difficult. Just do like I do." She reached down to her food and demonstrated for him. Link tried to mimic her but kept dropping the food on the floor. Why couldn't these people have a fork and eat their food normally? Malon smirked and sat next to Link. She picked up a piece of food in her chopsticks and held it in front of his face, "Here, for now I'll feed you until you can get it on your own." Link smiled gratefully and opened his mouth.

Zelda glanced up and watched. What did Malon think she was doing! Zelda stopped for a second, why was she getting mad? Malon was just being nice. Right? _"Well, if you don't want him, can I have him?"_ By then, Link had finished most of his food by then. Malon giggled as he attempted on his own again and failed miserably. Zelda clutched her chopsticks so hard they snapped. Both looked at her and she stood up, "I need new chopsticks…" She muttered and walked away. "Hmmm…..maybe I took it a little too far?" Malon thought out loud. "Took what too far?" Link inquired, he had a feeling it had something to do with him. "Oh! Nothing." Malon laughed mischievously. She was having way too much fun with this. Link frowned, confused, and continued to try and eat. Zelda sighed and grabbed another pair of chopsticks. What was wrong with her today? She knew the guy for two days and now she's getting angry at him for no reason and blushing whenever he does anything. She knew Malon was just teasing her. But still…

The rest of the day went by uneventfully and the same for the rest of the week. All they did in gym was jog around the track about a hundred times. Link and Zelda were walking home. Malon had left them a little ways back so they were alone. Neither said a word to the other. Link didn't want to upset her, and Zelda didn't know what she would say. The silence was getting on her nerves so she decided to make conversation, despite her better judgment, and blurted out the first thing that came to her mind, "I had a dream about you last night." Wait. Did she really say that out loud? She definitely could have worded it better. "Really? What about?" "Uhh….well….I think it was more of a memory." She glanced over at him, he was looking straight ahead, "Really….?" "Yeah, you were a little boy, about ten, and you had snuck past the guards." He chuckled at the memory, "Yeah. Security wasn't that tight at Hyrule Castle. Besides, I had to show you the stone." Zelda thought back to the dream. What stone? She didn't remember a stone.

"What else did you see?" Zelda was brought back to reality, "Hmm? Oh, uh…well, I was watching from horseback and running from the castle." Link frowned, "That was about the time Ganondorf attacked, and when I had pulled the Master Sword, sealing away my spirit for seven years." "You and being sealed away in time seem to happen a lot." Link laughed and nodded, "That's why they called me the 'Hero of Time'." They reached the house and Zelda stopped at the door. Link stopped as well. She didn't look at him, afraid of the answer to her next question. "Were you angry?" Link tilted his head, "At what?" "Being sent back to your own time." There were a few moments of silence. Zelda began to wonder if he hadn't heard her. "No. I wasn't." Zelda faced him, surprised, "But! I saw the look on your face! You…" She stopped speaking as she felt a finger at her lips. "I wasn't angry. I was sad, but I knew what the intentions were. I had to regain the time I lost by pulling the Master Sword. The world was safe, in both times, so there was no more need for the Hero of Time." Zelda looked down. She took a deep breath.

"Did you love her?"

"…" Link didn't answer. Instead he began to walk past her and inside. "Hey! Wait I-" "We should hurry inside before your father begins to worry." And with that, he opened the door and went inside. Zelda followed behind and didn't say anything to him during dinner and when he was finished he left without a word. Zelda stood outside his room and fiddled with the hem of her skirt. Most likely she had offended him, and she wanted to apologize. She was nervous though. Slowly she opened the door, "Link? Can I talk to you for a sec?" He was lying in bed with his arms behind him staring at the ceiling. "What do you need, prin….Zelda?"

Zelda stepped in and sat on her knees in front of him. "I….wanted to apologize for earlier. I shouldn't have asked such a personal question." Link sat up put his arm across one knee, "It's fine, and it wasn't that personal." He paused. Then continued, "Truth is, yes. I did. However, it was foolish." Zelda looked up, "What do you mean?" Link chuckled then looked up towards the ceiling, "Because my feelings would never have been returned. My wants and desires mean nothing compared to the needs of her people. It was foolish."

Zelda sat forward, "You don't know that!" Link watched her, "Even if she did feel the same, it wasn't meant to be. The goddesses bringing me here is proof of that." Zelda opened her mouth to object but even she couldn't argue with that. Link sat up and chuckled, patting her on the head, "It's fine Zelda. Don't worry about me so much." Just as Zelda was going to argue that he should worry about himself, the door opened again and Kaepora poked his head inside. "Ah, Link, I believe I have found what I was looking for. Zelda, you should come, too." With that, Kaepora left. Link stood and held out his hand to help Zelda up. Smiling he said, "C'mon princess." She took his hand and let him pull her to her feet. "Don't call me princess. Call me Zelda. Your Zelda and I are two different people." Link stopped smiling and stared at her. Then he smirked and said, "Yeah, you're right. Let's go, Zelda."

They entered Kaepora's room and shut the door. It was larger than most of the rooms in the house. In a corner was a desk that was piled high with papers and books. Kaepora was holding a particularly old looking book in his hands. "I believe I found one of the 'flames' the sword spirit spoke of." Upon mention of her, Fi appeared and landed beside Link. Kaepora nodded at her and began speaking again, "I believe it is the flame of the goddess Farore." Fi turned to Link, "Master. My memory indicates that the flame is somewhere close by. With this information I believe I can lead you in its general direction." Kaepora closed the book and set it down carefully, "The texts mention a powerful guardian that keeps the flame. Defeating it would be no easy task." Link nodded, "Even so, I have to restore the Master Sword." Kaepora nodded back, "I thought you would say that. Good luck my boy." Link was about to head out when Fi chimed in, "One more thing Master." Link regarded the spirit, "The maiden, Zelda, must accompany you."

Link froze, "Wait, what! Why!" Zelda folded her arms and huffed, "Geez, didn't know I was that much of a bother." Link turned to her and waved his hands in front of his face, "No! It isn't that! It would be too dangerous!" Fi spoke again, "Master, the door to the temple that houses the flame is blocked by a large door. It will only respond to the Triforce of Wisdom." Link tried to argue, "But…..she….I…." He sighed. This kind of thing has never happened before. Now he'd have to worry about her safety on top of everything else. 'Still, at least I'd have her close by…' Link paused, then shook his head. 'She isn't my Zelda. These aren't my feelings.' Kaepora reluctantly sighed, "I suppose if it can't be helped…she must go with you." Zelda stood by her father assuring him she'd be alright, "Link will be there, he won't let anything happen to me." Link nodded to confirm her statement. "Very well. Now off to bed with you two." Both left the room and headed to theirs.

Zelda sat in her room hours later, wide awake. The excitement welling up inside her wouldn't allow her to rest. What would it be like to go on an adventure? Like the ones you hear about in children's books or fantasy novels? She thought of Malon, 'Should I tell her where I'm going? Nah, Link would definitely object.' Speaking of which, she could hear his music coming from the courtyard. Even from this far away, the soothing melody seemed to magically wash away her anxiety of the coming day. As she felt her consciousness slipping away, a voice entered her mind. _"Take care of my hero."_ And the darkness of her mind took her away before she had a chance to ask what the voice had meant. Link was sitting in the tree leaning against the trunk. Having Zelda along would definitely complicate things, but he'd rather have her beside him than worry about her while he was away. Ganondorf would no doubt attempt to kidnap her and use her to lure him out. Link put away the ocarina and lied down on the branch. _'You don't know that!' _There had been truth in her words. Link couldn't help but feel that they weren't talking about the same thing though when she had said that. Link closed his eyes and thought on the recent events. The shadow watched from a distance before vanishing into the night.

Ganondorf was standing on top of a mountain that had once been an active volcano. He looked over the changed land of Hyrule. The Gerudo Desert was opposite of him. The king of evil watched the night pass by. A calm breeze blew past him. Why had he become the king of evil? Was it because of the curse that bound his destiny to the hero of time and the princess of destiny? Or was he simply that lustful of power? Ganondorf thought back to his early days, before he became king of the gerudo. Never once, as a child, had he thought of obtaining the Triforce. Nor of making war with Hyrule. So what then? What drew him to try to obtain the Triforce? He chuckled a bit as another breeze blew past him, "I coveted that wind, I suppose…" He was drawn out of his contemplation by a shadow that appeared behind him.

"Feeling sentimental are we, my lord?" Ganondorf turned to it, "Ridiculous. I was merely thinking of what I would do to this place once the Triforce was mine. You would do well to remember your place, Dark Link." Said shadow smiled and bowed, "My apologies master. I meant no disrespect." He straightened himself and relayed his information, "They have found the resting place of the first flame. The princess will be tagging along this time." Ganondorf frowned. This would indeed make capturing her more difficult, "Then we must wait for a more opportune time. Continue watching them and report back to me." Dark Link bowed again and vanished. "Soon….this dreadful bond will be severed."

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**I'm going to go ahead and forewarn all of you, Ganondorf won't be some evil, power hungry, dick like he was in most of the other games. After playing wind waker, ganondorf struck me as someone who didn't chose his life but had it thrown at him. Also I edited this chapter because I wasn't happy with my first attempt and felt that it didn't flow well with the story. But enough of my rambling, hope you enjoy it!**


	5. Your Friend

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Present

I do not own the Legend of Zelda© or any of its characters.

Chapter 5: The Flames of Courage

Zelda couldn't move. She couldn't speak. However, she didn't have to. Or want to for that matter. What she wanted to do was understand. She knew this was a dream. Things were changing all around her. But it felt so real. She could see Link. She watched as he battled countless, fearsome monsters, and restoring peace to the world. However, she also watched as each battle took its toll. Not only on his body, but also his spirit. What was he fighting for again? Why does he keep standing? Could anyone blame him if he gave up? What was the point in the end? _"Zelda…"_ The dream spoke to her, _"No matter what….I…I will protect you…"_ So that was why. It was all for her. She saw many of him now. They all looked a little different. Some younger. Some older. But they all echoed the same as the first.

Slowly, however, with each new Link, his spirit started to weaken even more, until, eventually, it broke. The world turned black. Zelda looked around, her ability to move returned to her. Her eyes rested on another Link. This one seemed different. He seemed malicious, murderous, and evil. His skin was ash white. His hair was the darkest shade she had ever seen. And his eyes, they were no longer that deep blue she always got pulled into. They were blood red. He raised his sword and spoke in a thin, raspy voice, _"The hero will fall. His spirit will be crushed. And the world will be in darkness, for eternity!" _With that he brought the blade down.

Zelda awoke with a start. A hand was shaking her. She gasped in surprise and knocked the hand away, jumping back. "Whoa! Calm down Zelda. It's just me. We need to head out soon. C'mon." Link stood and held out his hand. Zelda cautiously took it and stood up. His hair was still blond, and his eyes were still blue. "Uh…Zelda? Is there something on my face?" Link asked, uncomfortable, and a little self-conscious as she was checking him to make sure she wasn't dreaming again. "Hmm? Oh! Uh…no…I….er….nothing! I'll be out in a second!" Link nodded and walked out. Zelda sighed and began to dress. She was kind of at a loss to what she should pack. From what she's read in books, journeys like this are very tough and filled with danger. She found a simple pair of blue jeans and a short sleeve t-shirt and put them on.

After she had walked outside, she noticed that it was still dark out! Link was leaning against the wall in the hallway, waiting. He was dressed in the same clothing that she had found him in. Surprisingly, it was fixed. Zelda asked him, "Why are we leaving so early?" Link glanced in her direction, "Because, we don't know how long it will take us to get to the resting place of the first flame. Then we have to actually 'find' the flame." "Oh." Zelda couldn't really question it too much. He had been on dangerous quests since he was a small boy. They were just about to walk out the door when they heard footsteps behind them. Kaepora was standing in the hallway holding a small bundle. He handed it to Zelda and said, "This has been passed down through our family for centuries. Each generation has kept it in good condition regardless of being used or not." Zelda nodded and promised to take good care of it. With a final wave they set off down the dark streets of the city.

When they reached the entrance to the forest, a small chime was heard as Fi appeared in front of them. "Master, I have important information for you. I am detecting a large amount of energy coming from the deepest part of this forest. There is an 85% chance that this could be Farore's Flame. I will guide you to it, Master." Link nodded, "Lead the way." With that Fi took off into the woods. Link turned to Zelda, who nodded in turn, and they followed after the sword spirit.

Zelda had thought, at first, that because it was so early in the morning, monsters would be asleep. The keyword here? Thought. It proved not to be the case. After about five minutes in, they were attacked by keese. After Link dispatched them with his bow and sword, Zelda accidentally stepped on a deku baba. Apparently, it didn't like being used as a stepping stone and started to snap at them. Link quickly cut it down. Some deku scrubs were attracted by the sounds of fighting and chased them for a while. Needless to say, she was getting annoyed. "Ugh! What is with this forest! It's like everywhere we turn there are enemies just waiting for us!" Link sighed for about the fifth time. This was one of the many reasons he preferred traveling alone. "I'm sure it isn't much farther to the temple. Just try to relax and watch your step." Zelda huffed, "Easy for you to say, you've done this for what, ten years? You're a pro! The only reason I'm here is to open a freaking door!" Link, trying his best to calm her down, replied, "Actually a little longer than that, but still, don't forget this is an 'important' freaking door." Zelda rolled her eyes, "What's so important about one door?" Link turned and smiled, "It's one I can't open without you."

Zelda felt her cheeks burn, "Ah, well…um….let's focus on finding it then." Link nodded and continued forward. He began concentrating on his surroundings. Listening for incoming attacks and watching Fi. If anything, he wanted to get there quickly and restore the Master Sword as soon as possible. The further they went in, however, the more nostalgic he felt. From his memory of Hyrule, they had entered the Lost Woods some time ago. This was one of the many sections that were still unexplored. His thoughts were interrupted by Fi, who had suddenly stopped just ahead. "Master, we are here. However, there seem to be many enemies guarding the area. It will be difficult to dispatch them all." Link ducked behind a tree and looked around to see what Fi was talking about. Zelda crouched next to him. Just as she had said, there was a large structure just beyond their hideout. The entrance was back in a corner surrounded by two walls of rock. Different trees and other flora and fauna dotted these walls and hung out over the ground. There were also hordes of monsters in the area.

Link scanned the enemies quickly and made a head count. Twenty deku baba vines, all spread out, fifteen deku shrub nests, four wolfos, and a whole flock of keese. "This could be a problem…" Link groaned. Zelda looked up questioningly, "Why? You've fought tougher enemies than these guys right?" Link frowned and looked down at her, "Yes, but usually I didn't have someone with me. If I charge out there and start attacking there is a chance you would get discovered and you'd be in danger." Zelda thought for a second. He was right. If they tried to take them all on, she could get discovered. On the other hand, they couldn't just sneak around them all. "Master, I have a suggestion." Link glanced over to Fi. "If we could distract a majority of the enemies, dispatching the rest and sneaking by would be much easier. Don't you have something that can make a 'noise' to distract them?" Link thought. Noise. A song? Wait a minute…. Saria's song! "Perfect!" Zelda eyed Link suspiciously, "What are you going on about? Exactly what part of this situation is perfect?" Link ignored her and pulled out his ocarina. He took a deep breath, and played the song that was taught to him by his best friend. Saria's song echoed off the trees and the walls of the temple entrance. A memory rushed into his head as he was playing.

"_I've been waiting for you, Link!" A young girl, who looked no older than twelve, was sitting on a stump with an instrument similar to Link's. "This is the 'Sacred Forest Meadow'. It's my secret place! I feel… it will be very important for both of us someday… that's what I feel…" She seemed sad, like she knew that whatever would make it important, wouldn't be a good thing. Regardless she smiled and said, "If you play the ocarina here, you can talk with the spirits in the forest. Would you like to play the ocarina with me?" Link nodded his head. After playing the lively tune, the young girl seemed extremely happy. "Please don't forget this song. Do you promise?" _

Link was snapped out of his memory by Zelda. She was shaking him lightly, "Link, something's happening! It's almost like the forest is singing with you…" Sure enough, even though he had stopped playing, the song continued, almost seeming to come out of the forest itself. The Deku scrubs, panicked and ran from their nests into the undergrowth. Cowards. The Keese flew around in a daze, confused by the multitude of directions that the song was coming from and eventually flew away. The wolfos growled and looked around, trying to locate the source of the commotion. "Looks like they aren't so easily spooked…" Link noted. Just then, a small ball of light shot past Link. He blinked in surprise, then looked again as more flew out of the forest towards the wolfos. "Link, what are those things?" Zelda asked, worried. Link couldn't believe it! "They're…..the Forest Spirits… But how….?" The wolfos ran into the dense brush to escape the tiny spirits of the forest. Then, as quickly as they appeared, the tiny balls of light disappeared.

Link just stared. He was sure that the spirits knew he needed help. But how did they know…? A small voice sounded in his head, _"It's good to hear from you again….Link." _Link's eyes widened. 'Saria! It can't be…' _"I am not here anymore Link. I have passed on and become one with the spirits of the forest. Protect Hyrule and Zelda once again, chosen hero." _And with that, the voice was gone. Link sank to his knees. He never thought about it before. Over a thousand years had passed. Did he really expect that the people he knew would still be around? Saria, Darunia, Ruto, Impa, Nabooru, and Rauru. The sages, and everyone else he knew. They were gone. "Link…whats wrong?" Link turned to Zelda. She looked worried, "Why are you crying?" He reached up and touched his cheek. Sure enough, there were tears. "N-nothing…" He wiped his face on his sleeve, "I'll take care of the Deku Babas, stay close to me."

Link charged from his hiding place. The plants immediately sprang to life as they felt his presence grow closer. He pressed forward, slashing through anything that wasn't human. This was his element. The drunkenness of battle taking over him. One phrase still echoed through his mind, even after he drove his blade through the last enemy. The quivering plant slowly quit moving. _"Saria, will always be….your friend." _Zelda walked up and touched his shoulder, "Let's hurry and get that flame." He nodded, and stood back from the door. Zelda examined the barrier for a while and noticed that in the middle, the Triforce symbol was etched into the door. The Triforce of Wisdom was slightly indented. She passed her hand over it and it began to glow. Slowly, the door slid open with a loud grinding sound. Air rushed inside, almost like it was pulling at them, coaxing them to enter its depths. Link and Zelda glanced at each other, nodded, and entered the darkness.

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**Yeah this one is short. But i couldn't find anything else to put in this chapter! T.T I was suffering from a writers block... But anyways, hope you enjoyed chapter 5! Please leave a review. Everytime you leave a review, a little kitty poops a rainbow =3= Ciao!**


	6. Have Courage Part 1

The Legend of Zelda© A Link to the Present

I do not own the Legend of Zelda©

Authors Note: I want to apologize beforehand for the crappy naming. I'm not good with that stuff.

Chapter 6: Have Courage (part 1)

Lost in his thoughts, the King of Evil sits on his throne in the Gerudo Desert. His old stronghold was easy enough to find and restore using some of his black magic. The quietness of the room was interrupted by an opening door. An ethereal being, resembling the Hero of Time, strode into the room. "Lord Ganondorf. They have entered the temple." Upon hearing this, the Gerudo king simply smiled. Just as expected from the wielder of the Triforce of Courage. "Who has been sent to guard the flame?" "The Phantasmal Assassin, Shadow Strike." Ganondorf chuckled. The boy would surely overcome the creature, nevertheless, "Good. He shall feast on the soul of the goddesses chosen one!" A roar of laughter echoed through the halls.

Link sneezed. "Geez, this temple is definitely earth based." Zelda walked close behind him, "Or someone could be gossiping about you." They had been walking down those stairs for a while now, and it didn't seem like they were getting anywhere. The torches on the walls flickered, casting shadows all around them. Odd, considering this place had been empty and sealed away a long time ago. A strange feeling passed over Link. It was almost like…. Link stood still and looked around. "Let's stop for a second." Zelda almost ran into him, "Huh? Why?" Link walked over to the wall and ran his hand across the cool surface, "Because something doesn't feel right. If the temple was really this deep, we'd be at least a few leagues under the surface." Link drew his sword and began to scratch at the stone wall. "What are you doing?" Zelda asked, confused. "Testing something."

After a noticeable gouge had been made in the rock, Link started to walk again. "Hey wait up!" Zelda hurried after him. A few minutes of walking and Link stopped again. "Just as I thought…" He was inspecting a section of wall. Zelda walked up beside him and asked, "What? What's wron….." Zelda stopped speaking, and after a while, her lungs noticed, she had stopped breathing as well. Link turned to face her. "We're trapped in some sort of loop." The gouge in the wall Link had made earlier was still there, even though they had walked away from it a little while ago. "There's something here with us…" Link informed Zelda. "How do you know?" "Cause he's right behind you. Move!" Link grabbed Zelda's arm and leapt away just as a blade was headed straight for them.

An eerie voice cut through the darkness, _"Not bad hero. Looks like 'he' was right. You do have good reflexes. However, that won't be enough to stop me. Enter deeper if you wish to forfeit your life. I swear I will make it quick. Geh heh heh heh!" _Zelda looked around her. She couldn't tell where the voice was coming from. "Well, at least we know he's expecting us. We'd be rude to keep him waiting." Link's voice sounded close. 'Really' close. She also noticed that she wasn't sitting on the hard stone floor. She was sitting in his lap. It had happened when he grabbed her and jumped away from the attack. "So, are we going to get moving, or do you need a break already?" He teased. Face burning red with embarrassment, she stood up quickly and huffed, "I'm perfectly fine. Let's hurry up and get out of here, pervert!" With that, she marched down the stairs again. Link followed close behind, 'Pervert…? What the heck did I do?'

When they finally reached the bottom of the stairs, it opened up to a huge chamber. The walls were dotted with vines, and small vermin scurried about, watching their new visitors. There were three doors aside from the one that Link and Zelda had just come through. The one just across from them was locked shut. The one on the left seemed to be locked by some mechanism, but neither could figure out how to open it. "Looks like we go right," Link informed Zelda. "Seems that way," she replied. Link drew his blade and stood in front of it, "We don't know what may be on the other side, so stay close to me." Zelda didn't have to be told twice, "You're the expert here…" With that, Link grabbed the handle at the base of the door and gave a pull. The door groaned in response, almost angry that it had been disturbed after many years of being unused. Link and Zelda tentatively stepped through and the door slammed shut behind them.

The room was pitch-black, save for one small torch flickering in the center. Zelda walked slowly behind Link as he ventured further into the room. Link looked around the room with the little light they had to try and find a switch, or another torch to try and light. He spotted the faint outline of a square switch off in the corner. Zelda became aware of some faint scraping noises all around them. She whispered to Link, "Do you hear that?" Link didn't answer. He seemed frozen to the spot. That sound. Oh he knew that sound well. It haunted his dreams. He faced this enemy many times on his journey, especially in the shadow temple. "….alfos…." Zelda barely heard him, "What?" Link immediately stomped on the switch, setting hidden torches ablaze and pulled Zelda behind him. "Stalfos!"

Zelda's eyes widened in fear and disgust. Three grotesque creatures stood in front of them. Walking skeletons, some with dried flesh still attached to their ancient bones. The scraping noise she had heard were the sounds of their skeletal feet dragging across the stone floor. The hollows where there eyes should have been were filled with an ethereal light. Their teeth chattered as they seemed to be communicating to one another. Link held his sword in front of him. This was bad. Stalfos were the remains of fallen warriors brought back to life with black magic. They were truly formidable foes. Fighting them would have been simple, but he couldn't leave Zelda unprotected. He searched the room for a way out or at least some place where Zelda could be safe, but he never got the chance.

The first stalfos lunged at him and Link parried with his sword. The second used a jump attack, but Link raised his shield just in time to block. Zelda watched the stalfos pace around in front of them, waiting for an opening. She had to think of something. Link couldn't fight them and protect her at the same time! 'Bow…' A voice echoed in her head. Bow? Wait a minute! She vaguely remembered joining the archery club at school for a while, but her studies became more and more strenuous that she eventually quit. "Link, give me your bow!" Link had just blocked another strike when he turned towards her, "What!?" "Just trust me!" Zelda yelled at him. Link grit his teeth and forced the monster back. He reached into his pouch and produced the Fairy Bow. Zelda took it from him and grabbed the quiver from his back. After notching an arrow, she aimed right at the monsters head and released it. The stalfos that had been forced back by Link now had an arrow sticking out from between its eyes. It roared in pain as it fell to pieces and disintegrated into a purple smoke. Enraged that their comrade had fallen, the other two charged at the pair.

Link blocked both attacks with his shield and swiped at the closest one. The stalfos jumped away from his attack and slapped their shields with their swords, taunting him. Link glanced back at Zelda, "I didn't know you could use a bow." Zelda smirked, "Father said it might come in handy one day. Looks like he was right." She notched another arrow and fired at the second stalfos. After watching the first one fall, the other two had grown smarter. The stalfos raised its shield and deflected the arrow. "Tch." She tried again but it had no effect. "Link, I need you to distract them so I can get a clear shot!" "But they might come after you instead of me!" He argued. "We don't have time for this, just trust me!" Link grit his teeth and forced the stalfos back, slicing through their armor. Instinctively, the monsters jumped back to put distance between them. Link used this moment to launch a small object towards them. "Cover your eyes!" Link yelled to Zelda, who immediately closed them.

A flash lit up the area causing the skeletal warriors to stagger about as they tried to regain their senses. Zelda released her arrow. It flew right into the ribcage of one of the stalfos, who collapsed in a heap and disappeared. Link grinned, 'Looks like I underestimated her.' He then realized that the other stalfos, who had recovered from the blinding, was closing in on Zelda. She fired arrow after arrow but the stalfos kept blocking with his shield. Zelda reached back for another arrow but her quiver was empty! The creature raised its sword menacingly and prepared to strike her down. Link leapt in front of her and blocked, but the force was so great that it sent him and Zelda flying back into the wall.

'Snap!' At first Zelda thought that was the sound of a bone, but when she looked down she found that Link's bow was in two pieces. Link was grappling with the final skeleton, but it wasn't budging an inch. Link brought his shield back and drove it forward, into the creature's skull. The stalfos stumbled backwards and, with a yell, Link charged his sword with magic energy and unleashed the spin attack, felling the stalfos. After sheathing his sword he went to check on Zelda, "Hey, are you hurt anywhere?" She shook her head, "No. I'm fine. I just ah…!" Zelda hadn't noticed, but when she was knocked against the wall her foot had twisted. A throbbing pain shot up her leg as she stumbled forward.

Link grabbed her shoulders to keep her from falling, "Easy there, don't push yourself. That was some impressive shooting." Zelda nodded and leaned on him for support, "Thanks, but your bow…." Link smirked, "Don't worry about it. I can make a new one easily." Zelda still protested, "Yeah but…ah….what is that!?" Link turned towards the direction Zelda was pointing. A bright light filled the area and when it died down there was a chest in the middle of the room. "Stay here." Link walked over to the chest and slowly opened it, reached inside and….

DA DA DA DA!

He pulled out a strange object that looked like a gun but had a bow sideways on the front. Inside the chest was also a quiver of arrows that seemed slightly shorter than normal arrows. Zelda, slightly disturbed by his silly pose after a battle like that, looked at the item when he brought it back to where she was. "Huh? What is this thing? Fi do you know?" Link inquired. Upon mention of her name a chime was heard and she appeared next to Link. "Master, after an analysis of the object I can find no entry of an item that looks like this. It may be that this item was not from our respective times." "Well duh, crossbows were created about 500 years ago." Zelda chimed in.

Link blinked, "Crossbow?" He turned it over in his hands, "How do you work it?" Zelda thought for a minute. She had no idea, really. She only knew about it because of archery club. She never used one before. However, it couldn't be that hard to- "Got it!" Link said confidently. "Huh?! You figured it out that quickly?" Zelda was speechless. This guy, who had never seen anything like this before, figured out how to use a modern crossbow? "Yeah, figuring out what weapons do is one of my specialties. It really helps on my journeys. All you have to do, it seems, is pull back the string till it clicks. Then load the arrow. Simple!"

Zelda was impressed. He may not have a lot of common sense when it came to blending in, but he still seemed very intelligent. Well, that's what she thought, until he tried to fire it by punching the back of the crossbow bolt. It worked, to some extent anyways, "Hmm….it doesn't seem to fly straight…" Zelda rolled her eyes, "That's 'cause you're doing it wrong. You pull this trigger with your finger to fire it." After looking at it while he loaded it, she kinda guessed what the trigger was for. Link examined it again, "Oh, well I guess that makes sense." Link reloaded and fired a practice shot. It had much more power and accuracy than his bow. "Alright! This will make long range attacks a little easier." Link pocketed the weapon and turned to Zelda, "Ready to go?" Zelda tested her foot and nodded, "Yep. Let's do this."

A dark shadow was watching them from above. It grinned, licked its lips, and vanished as the pair walked through the opposite door, delving deeper into the dungeon.

Part 2 will be coming soon…hopefully. I tend to get writers block easily it seems…. T.T

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**I have opened a poll on my profile about what you guys and gals would like to see in future chapters. I may only do one of them, or all of them...somehow...but anyways, vote it up and if you have any suggestions pm me your ideas. In the meantime, bless your face.**


	7. Have Courage Part 2

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Present

I do not own the Legend of Zelda© or any of its characters.

Chapter 7: Have Courage: Part 2

At the school, a certain professor was researching early that morning. He seemed to be confused, and that was something that frustrated him. Prof. Shad had been searching through every history book the school had to offer as well as his own personal collection. But nothing seemed to help the distraught teacher. "I know I have read about it somewhere….but where?" He dug into another shelf of old books, but like the first hundred, no luck. Slightly angry and disappointed, he sighed and replaced the books on their respective shelves. Just as he was about to walk away, a book fell from the top shelf and landed on top of the poor man's head.

He rubbed the sore spot and picked up the book, curious. The title read, 'Ancient Legends.' He looked over the cover and gasped. On the front of the book was the same symbol he had seen on the back of that strange kid's hand. Prof. Shad walked over to a desk and sat down. "Now, let's find out what you are my young friend…" With slightly trembling hands, he opened the book and began to read. He had a vague idea of what that symbol was, but it was so ludacris that he couldn't believe something like that existed. The scientist in him wouldn't allow it. But science could only go so far, there were still many questions as to how the earth, life, time, and existence began. "Before time began, before spirits and life existed..."

To Zelda, it seemed adventuring was nothing at all like what the books describe. Things always seem to go wrong just when they relax. Whether it was walking into a room filled with monsters that had to be defeated, or annoying puzzles to solve so they could progress further. 'This adventuring stuff isn't as fun as it's cracked up to be…' Zelda sighed. Link, however, cut down all the enemies as if they were paper. To him the puzzles were as simple as a child's jigsaw puzzle, even though he didn't know what that was. Frankly, it was getting on her nerves. As of right now, they were trying to figure out where the final key was using the map and compass Link had acquired a few rooms back. 'Triforce of Wisdom my butt…' She grumbled. "Huh? You say something Zelda?" Trying to play it off she waved her hand in front of her face, "Nothing! I said nothing. Hahaha…." Link raised an eyebrow, "You sure? I could have sworn I heard you say something about the Triforce…" Just then, iron bars slammed down behind them, "Why don't you pay more attention to what's going on around us so we can avoid stuff like that!?" Link groaned as he slashed through the keese and the skulltulas, 'How could I even compare her to 'my' Zelda? She isn't cute at all…' Zelda threw deku nuts to blind the enemies that were trying to sneak in and attack his blind spots.

After their battle with the Stalfos, Link decided that Zelda could support him by distracting the enemies behind him. He was going to let her use the crossbow that he had gotten, but she wasn't strong enough to load the arrow. So he gave her a small bag of deku nuts. _'What are these things?' Zelda asked him. 'Deku nuts.' He replied. 'P-pardon?!' Zelda sputtered after her mind took a short trip to the gutter. Link raised an eyebrow, 'They are fruit that fell from the Great Deku Tree. When you throw them, it can temporarily blind the opponent, as well as yourself if you aren't careful.' _'I can't believe I thought that…' She threw another of the blinding fruit as Link finished off the rest. The bars slid open. "According to the map, the final key should be in here…"

Zelda looked over his shoulder, "As well as a ton of monsters?" She asked with a hint of sarcasm. Link smirked and turned his head towards her, "Now you're getting it. Ah….!" Around the time he finished teasing her they both noticed that their faces were so close they were almost touching. 'Woah….she is really cute…' Zelda recovered and blushed furiously as she shoved him away from her, "You're too close!" Unfortunately, for Link, there was a low hanging wall in front of them. He fell to the ground holding his now throbbing face. Zelda seemed to realize that it was her fault and apologized, "Sorry! I…uh… you surprised me!" Link, still holding on to his nose, gave her an annoyed look, 'I take that back. She isn't cute at all…' After nursing his face for a few more seconds, and listening to a few more apologies from Zelda, he stood up. "Alright, all we have to do is go through this door, get the key, and proceed to the final room. The flame should be there." Zelda nodded and steeled herself for what might be on the other side. What she saw surprised her.

"Huh. It's empty." Link stated simply. "Empty? All those rooms just to get to this one, that's supposed to have the final key that gets us into the room with the flame, and it's empty!?" During her little rant, Link grabbed the key, and after another silly pose walked back over to her. "Let's just be thankful. At least we can have a breather." Zelda deadpanned, "You know, you're pretty carefree for an adventurer." He just grinned, "If I keep a positive outlook, these adventures are a little more bearable." Zelda's thoughts went back to that feeling she got when she looked in his eyes the first time they met, and the dream from the night before. "You know…" Link stopped, "Hm?" "You should think about yourself more…" She finished quietly. "What? I didn't hear you." She shook her head, "N-nothing! Let's just get this flame and get out of here." Link nodded and they both walked to the door on the other side of the room.

The Phantasmal Assassin was patiently meditating in the final room. Preparing himself for the confrontation that was about to happen. At first glance, he looked just like a bundle of rags. But underneath, he had a black, samurai kimono with chainmail under that. He had a small leather belt that wrapped around his waist and held a large number of assassins' tools. "Who's there?" He didn't need to ask. He knew this presence. Dark Link stood off to the side of him, "The 'hero' is almost here. Make sure you leave no trace of his existence. Oh, and one more thing, the princess is off limits." Shadow Strike smirked and licked his lips, showing his sharp fangs, "That goes without saying." With that, Dark Link smirked and vanished, 'That fool won't last. He will only test him. I will be the one to destroy the hero. Just you watch 'Link' hahahaha!'

Shadow Strike rose to his feet. 'The time has come.' He hid his presence and waited. As if on cue, Link and Zelda walked through the door as it creaked open. "So where is the flame?" Zelda questioned him. Link was searching all around him. He had been in temples and dungeons long enough to know that this was too easy. 'I know he's here, he's probably waiting for a sneak attack. What a coward.' Link spoke up, "Huh, maybe we got lucky again." Zelda looked at him, "Isn't that a little…convenient?" Link shrugged, "Probably, but I don't see any enemies, do you?" Zelda looked around, "No…I guess not." Shadow Strike, narrowed his eyes. 'That boy is underestimating me. How he sensed my presence…he truly is the reincarnation of the 'Hero of Legend.' But I will end him here…' Silently, he drew a sharp needle, tipped with poison, and threw it at Link's neck. Link pretended to trip and the needle harmlessly flew past him. Shadow gritted his teeth, 'I am being mocked…' This time he threw two, one aimed for his foot, the other aimed for his right arm. Link raised his arm and pointed at something while side stepping, "Hey what's that?"

Both needles missed.

Now he was getting angry. This time he threw ten poisoned needles at Link, all aimed at his vital spots. Link turned and drew his shield, deflecting them. He then tossed a deku nut at the assassin, which caused a flash to light up the area. Using his cloak to cover his eyes, the evil warrior dropped from his hiding spot and landed a few feet away. "Hmph. It seems I underestimated you." Link drew the goddess sword from its sheath, "Who are you?" Link asked. Throwing off his cloak, he gave his introduction, "I am the Phantasmal Assassin, Shadow Strike. And I will be dining on your soul." Link smirked and readied his stance, "You're welcome to try." The dark warrior drew his own blade, a serrated, katana shaped, weapon and lunged at the hero. Link parried and struck back with a low slice that was easily dodged. Zelda, after overcoming her initial shock, readied a deku nut and looked for an opening. Link and Shadow Strike exchanged blow after blow but neither seemed to have an edge. They broke away from their attacks to catch their breath. 'Dang, he's strong…' Link was bleeding from cuts all over. However, he dodged in a way that most of them were shallow. Link tried to read his movements, looking for a weakness, but the assassin's movements were so fluid that he couldn't find any. As quick as they had broken apart, they pressed the attack once more, each trying to land a successful hit.

Link watched his enemies' movements closely, looking for any kind of weakness. He swiped at the assassin's chest after using a feint to the right. The assassin fell for it due to Zelda throwing a deku nut at their feet. However, the assassin barely dodged, his kimono was torn and through it Link could see a dim light behind the chain mail. 'That must be his heart…' A voice chimed in his head, 'Master, analysis complete. As you have noticed, his weak point is the glowing area on his chest. However, the chain mail is magically enhanced to reflect damage from swords. Attacking it with the goddess sword is pointless. We have to find some way to '**pierce**' through the chain mail.' Link thought for a moment, 'Pierce huh….? Ah!' Link fished around in his pouch while the assassin charged in, "You've let your guard down!" Link quickly blocked and defended, trying to create enough space to reach his bag. But the assassin wouldn't give him any chances and began to furiously barrage Link with a series of swipes and stabs.

Zelda was down to her last deku nut. She knew that Link had figured out something, but he couldn't do anything with that assassin constantly bearing down on him. What should she do? If she didn't time it properly, it might blind Link instead. Link took a second to glance at Zelda. She caught his eye. He gave her a look that said, 'on my signal.' Zelda waited calmly, watching for the signal. Link swung down with all his might, trying to break the assassin's defenses, but the blade held fast, just like Link had hoped. Link dropped down quickly and used a sweep kick to throw him off balance. "Now!" Link yelled. Zelda launched the deku nut at their feet causing a blinding flash to light up the area. Shadow Strike recovered from the kick and the flash just in time to hear a sound coming from his right. 'Click.' He turned expecting to meet a blade but instead there was nothing but pain. He looked down and sticking out of his chest was an arrow. He looked back up in the direction it came from and there was Link holding the crossbow. As Shadow Strike began to fade, his last thoughts were, 'Truly, a marvelous warrior. Hahaha…his soul would have been very tasty….' And with that, he disappeared.

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**Yep, the first temple arc is finally done! Don't worry, the flame getting part will be in the next chapter. Also, I still have no one voting on the poll I have on my profile. Please vote and let me know what you would like to see in future chapters. Reviews are greatly appreciated so that I can make these faster! Anyhow, enjoy!**


	8. Hot Springs Adventure Arc Part one

**MadLink007: Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it! I fully intend on finishing this story! But I would love to hear yours and everyone else's input on what I could do to improve this story. Anyways, thanks for reading!**

**Raven Tsurara: Please don't kill me! I wish I could update faster! Lol just kidding, thank you for being patient with me. I know I started out writing a lot in a short amount of time but the intro is so much easier than the actual story. There are so many elements from the Zelda universe that I want to put in here but I don't want to make the story too...cramped, if you get my meaning. I also seriously hope I don't have another writers block either. God Bless.**

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The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Present

I do not own the Legend of Zelda© or any of its characters. Please support the official release.

Chapter 8: Hot Spring Adventure (part 1)

Ganondorf was sitting in throne, awaiting the news from Dark link about the fate of the hero. Ganondorf didn't really care if Link died or not. Either way, when all three pieces of the Triforce were together, he would make his wish. This thought alone sent his mind into a frenzy of thoughts. Power, immortality, wealth, land, all of these thoughts and more clouded his mind. But one thought made itself clearer than the others. Freedom. "My lord?" Ganondorf snapped away from his musings, "And? What of the boy's fate?" Dark Link bowed, "Forgive me my lord, but the Phantom was easily overcome." Ganondorf pretended to be annoyed, "Hmph. What a waste of time he was. He deserved his fate." Ganondorf was grinning on the inside. 'So he intends to make this as interesting as possible. Good…' "Begin the search for the next flame. We will not let him take it." Dark Link bowed again and vanished.

As the last remnants of the Phantasmal Assassin faded away, Link sank to the ground to catch his breath. 'Geez….and it only gets tougher from here on…' Link noted. Zelda headed over to him, worried, "Are you alright?" Link grinned and looked up, "Haha, trust me, I've been through worse." Zelda rolled her eyes, 'Is that supposed to reassure me?' Just then, a bright light erupted from the ground at the far end of the room. A small circular form on the ground lit up with a flash of green. Link and Zelda both shielded their eyes. When they reopened them a bright green flame erupted from the circle. "So that's Farore's flame…" Link then felt a stabbing pain in his head. _'Do you ever wonder if there is anything beneath the clouds?' 'I feel like someone is calling out to me.' 'You do know what happens next, right?' 'Link, there's something I want to tell you…'_

The pain subsided. Link looked around. Zelda was still observing the flame so she didn't notice his break down. 'What was that?' Deciding to think about it later he called out to Fi, "So how do we do this?" Upon being summoned, she leapt out of the blade and landed in front of the flame. "I will take care of this master, prepare yourself." Link looked a little confused but drew the goddess sword and stood ready. Fi lifted her (arms?) and four balls of flame shot out and enveloped her. Link stepped back because of the intense heat. From the burning flames around her, Fi looked up at Link with an expectant gaze. Link nodded and raised the sword again as balls of flame shot into the blade, imbuing it with power. When it was finished, Link looked over the blade. It was its original length now. But the coloration and hilt had not changed. "That was…interesting…" Zelda commented. Link nodded and sheathed the sword. "Now we just need to get back."

After a short while, they arrived at the entrance to the temple. "I wonder if the Great Deku Tree knew this was here…" Link thought out loud. Zelda shrugged, "You said he was the guardian of the forest, right? I'm pretty sure he knew." Link nodded at the logic and they continued through the forest. After about an hour, they finally broke through the tree line and back into Hylla. "One flame down, Two to go." Link announced. "Yeah." Zelda replied, and then looked down at herself, "Man I'm filthy!" Link chuckled, "Nah. Just a little dirty. You know what they say, 'Din made dirt and dirt don't hurt.'" Zelda rolled her eyes and said, "Maybe so, but I still need to take a bath." Link looked himself over as well, "Same here. I wish we had stopped at that waterfall before we left." Zelda looked him over as well. His clothes were torn, again, and he was bleeding from cuts all over.

"Ah! You should have said something! You're still bleeding and you could get infected!" Link scratched the back of his head, "Sorry, I wanted to get you home as soon as possible." Zelda sighed, exasperated, 'Why did it have to be this guy…?' She then straightened up and pointed a finger in his face, like a mother scolding a child, "Just because you're worried about me doesn't mean you can ignore yourself. You need to value your life more." Link didn't know what to think. This Zelda certainly was different from his Zelda. Yet, also, the same. He sighed in defeat, "Alright, I got it." Zelda nodded and started off through the streets as the sun was setting. "By the way Link. Who's Din?"

Zelda woke up the next day sore all over. When she moved her legs they screamed in protest. "I didn't think it'd be this bad…" School was going to suck. 'Still,' she thought, 'it was a lot of fun, if you didn't count the life threatening situations. Then there was the thing with the map…' Zelda felt her face burn at the thought of being that close to Link. Their faces were practically touching! Zelda lightly smacked her cheeks and stood up, much to the chagrin of her aching muscles, to get ready for school. Once she had bathed, she had four times the night before, she got dressed and headed to the kitchen for breakfast. 'I wonder if Link is awake right now. Even he should be tired after something like that.' The night before, Zelda had offered to clean Link's wounds. He, however, politely refused. After a lot of arguing, chasing, and dodging, Link had allowed her to clean his cuts and wrap them. _'Honestly Zelda I'm fine. I get cut like this all the time.' Zelda rolled her eyes and slapped his back over a rather large cut causing a hiss to come out of the Hero. 'Then you can handle this too. Now suck it up, and be still.'_

However, when she entered the dining room, Link was sitting there as if nothing was wrong. If it weren't for the small bandages on his face you'd think nothing was wrong with him. 'Did I really expect him to be tired from that?' Link was concentrating and having a conversation with Fi when she walked in, "…So you're saying that it would help me?" "Yes Master. There is a 90% chance that the information you receive would be useful as it pertains to you." Link was about to say more when Zelda walked in. "Oh, good morning. Did you get enough rest?" 'This guy….' Zelda sighed and sat down. "No, I'm still very sore." Link nodded, "That's to be expected. Temples aren't meant to be taken lightly." 'Hmph! Easy for you to say…' Zelda huffed to herself.

The walk to school was uninteresting, unless you count Malon scolding Zelda for not calling her over the weekend or hanging out together. When they walked into class, Prof. Shad seemed a little….off. He was…smiling? Almost, cheerfully. 'Maybe he finally snapped? Maybe he found out who keeps putting gum under the handle of his car door?' Zelda thought. Link, Zelda, and Malon all walked over to their seats and sat down when Prof. Shad cleared his throat, "Class, I would like to make an announcement. Our class will be taking a trip to the Eldin Mountain Hot Springs!" The class erupted into mixed shouts of excitement and surprise. Malon and Zelda both exchanged curious looks. Prof. Shad wasn't known for being extremely generous. In fact he was mostly known for his infamous '100 question' pop quizzes. Meanwhile, Link was deep in thought. 'Hot…..spring?'

The rest of the school day passed by uneventfully, so the three walked home together. "I wonder what happened to Prof. Shad?" Malon thought out loud. "I dunno. Probably snapped from the stress of being a teacher?" Zelda offered. Malon put her finger under her chin in thought, "Maybe. What do you think Link?" Said person didn't answer prompting the others to look at him. His brows were furrowed and his eyes were staring at the ground. Zelda knew those eyes. Those eyes were cold and calculating. Like when he fights. Looking for a weakness, an opening. Something about this trip didn't feel right. The Prof. had been staring at him the whole time with a look that was mixed with awe and suspicion. "…Link? Earth to Link!" His thoughts were interrupted by soft knock on his head by Malon. "Hmm? Yes?" Malon huffed and crossed her arms, "Geez, it's like you were in your own little world." Link rubbed the back of his head and smiled, "Sorry. I don't know either." "Oh well, let's just enjoy it! Ah, Link? Can you go on ahead? I need to talk to Zelda about some….'private' stuff." Malon winked at him when she said private. Link just tilted his head to the side, "Private…?" Malon giggled, "It's girl stuff. Now shoo!" Link shrugged and kept walking leaving Zelda and Malon alone.

Zelda crossed her arms, she knew what Malon's 'private' stuff was. Zelda, being the stubborn girl she is, wouldn't have any of it. "Malon, I don't know what you are planning for this trip, but forget it." Malon stuck her tongue out at Zelda, "You're no fun Zel. This is a perfect opportunity to get close to him!" Zelda rolled her eyes, 'I knew it. Besides, we've been close enough already…' Zelda turned her head to hide the redness that burned her cheeks before countering, "What are you saying?! I don't want to close to an idiot like him!" Malon leaned in closer, "Ohh? Your face says otherwise Zelda. If you don't snatch him up quickly, someone else might." _Ba-dump._ "Wha-!?" "Tee hee, got you!" Malon giggled. Zelda's eyebrows twitched, "Why you…." Malon laughed and pranced away, "If you time it right, you two could go in alone!" Zelda's face turned beet red, "A-a-alone!? Don't say ridiculous stuff like that!" Zelda began to chase Malon all the way up to where Link had stopped to wait for them.

That night, Link was out in the garden playing the ocarina again. Zelda sat next to the entryway, listening to the soft sounds that came from the little instrument. "You like my playing huh?" Link asked. Zelda figured he knew she was there, but she didn't want to stop him from playing. "Yeah, where did you learn to play that?" Immediately she regretted asking him. He had that distant, sad look in his eyes and a small smile on his face, "Saria, taught me. My friend from the forest." Zelda frowned, "Did she teach you all of them?" Link chuckled, "No. Only Saria's song. I learned songs from a lot of people." "Oh." A long silence passed between them. "Hey Link?" "Yeah?" "What's the name of that song you play every night before you go to bed?" Link smiled that sad smile again and said, "Zelda's Lullaby." "Oh." Zelda smiled. "Hey Zelda?" "Yeah?" "What's a hot spring?" "…."

The next day, the three of them arrived at school and got on the bus to go to Eldin Mountain. Malon and Zelda were sitting in the back with some of the other girls who were chattering excitedly about what the hot springs could do for your skin, legends about the hot spring, etc. You know. Girl stuff. Link, on the other hand, was annoying the crap out of the driver with his many questions about the big, metal, cart called 'the bus'. However, there was a certain bulky redhead who was glaring daggers at him. His large frame took up the whole seat. No, he wasn't fat. He had a set jaw, and yellow eyes. The most appalling thing about him was his hair. It was slicked up into a ridiculous pompadour. He was proud of it, too. The boy's name is Groose. His is widely known as the school troublemaker and constantly gets into fights with anyone he deems a threat to his ego. And right now, Link was at the top the list. 'Tch, who does this guy think he is getting so close to my Zelda? I'm gonna have to teach him a lesson…'

Groose, after watching them come to school together for a while, decided to follow them home one day. He almost died when he found out Link was living with her. 'Then, after I get rid of that punk, Zelda and I will 'accidentally' meet in the springs alone, and then…heh heh heh…' (for the discretion of the readers, Groose's thoughts are censored for those under 18.) The river of drool from his mouth, and blood from his nose, made it clear that Groose was up to no good. Everyone knew about his 'secret' crush on Zelda. Everyone. So a few people made it a point to mention it to Zelda, who in turn gagged. Link rushed down the aisle to Zelda, "Zelda! Does this contraption really move just by pushing a pedal?!" Zelda sighed but couldn't help chuckling at his childish wonder of the bus, "Yes, now sit down. I think the bus driver is going insane." Link obediently did as he was told, but kept looking out the window at the passing landscape saying, "With this, getting to Hyrule Castle would have been so much quicker!"

A girl behind Zelda tapped her on the shoulder, "What's with him? He acts like he's never seen a car before." Zelda laughed nervously, "Uh, yeah. He's from…..deep….in the country." "Oooh I get it!" She then went back to chatting with the other girl in her seat. Zelda sighed, "Bathing in the hot springs is going to feel so good to my sore muscles…" Malon raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Why would they be sore? Don't tell me!" She put her hand over her mouth and leaned in close, "You two have already gone that far!?" Zelda flicked her in the forehead, "Stop saying weird things!" Link, hearing Zelda's outburst, turned to her, "What's wrong Zelda?" Zelda turned red and shouted, "Shut up! I wasn't talking to you!" Link flinched and turned back out the window, 'What did I do this time? We aren't even there yet…' Prof. Shad stood up and put a mega phone to his mouth, "We're here." Link grunted, 'I stand corrected.'

All of them filed off the bus and got into their class lines before Shad gave out orders and warnings. "Boys are in the left rooms and Girls are on the right. If anyone is caught mixing up, you will squat in the hallway till morning." Everyone shivered. "One more thing, the boys will maintain a minimum distance of 4 meters from the girls. Also, always have on your bathing suits. That is all." Zelda turned to Malon, "What's with that rule? We'll be separated anyways right?" Malon put her hand on her lips and chuckled, "Oh? No one told you? This hot spring….is co-ed." It took about 3 seconds for that to register in Zelda's mind, "Eh…..EEEEEEEEEEEHHHH!?"

Part one of the Eldin Hot Springs Adventure.

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**Yo! AFightingDreamer here with another chapter for the Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Present! Whats this!? A steamy, hot spring adventure!? Could love blossom in the heated waters of the Eldin Mountains? Or will an unseen danger turn this hot dream into a cold nightmare? What could Prof. Shad be planning? Find out soon! As you may have noticed, I will be replying to reviews on my stories from now on because I am to lazy to pm. Also, don't forget to vote it up on the poll at my profile page! So far, 0 votes. I'm a little disappointed, but what are ya gonna do? My birthday is this friday! I will be 18 years old then. Well, until next time!**


	9. Hot Springs Adventure Arc Part Two

**Zeldax: I'm glad you like my story. I always thought Zelda and Malon would get along because Malon struck me as a simple girl who could be friends with anyone. Besides, I like to go against the flow sometimes. Thank you for reading!**

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The Legend of Zelda: A link to the Present

I do not own the Legend of Zelda© or any of its characters. Please support the official release.

Chapter 9: Hot springs adventure (part 2)

Last time….

_"Ohhh? You didn't know? This hotspring…..is co-ed." "Eh-EEEEEEEEEEEHHHHH!?_

'Zelda. Zelllldaaaa!' She shot up, "Whaaa!" Malon recoiled, "Woah, geez relax Zel. We're here." "Huh? Oh…" Zelda sighed in relief as they walked off the bus, 'It was only a dream. Bathing with the guys? Like that would ever happen…' "Hey Zelda, you okay? You seem shaken up." Zelda turned to look at Link, who had made his way over to her after getting off the bus. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just had a weird dream is all." Link cocked his head to the side, shrugged and looked around aimlessly. 'He seems to be enjoying himself.' "I wonder what this 'hot spring' will feel like though…" At that moment, three things entered her mind. One, the dream she had earlier. Two, the image of a certain, blonde haired, hero, completely nude. And three, another image of both of them together in a bath.

Zelda's face turned about five to six shades of red before Malon noticed and commented, "Zelda, are you feeling ok? Your face is really red." Zelda threw her hands up in front of her, "I-Its nothing! Nothing at all! Hahaha!" 'What the heck was I just thinking about!?' Unfortunately for Zelda, she was a terrible liar. To make matters worse, Link had heard Malon. "Zelda? What's wrong? Are you sick?" Zelda turned towards Link and realized his face was close. Really close. He placed his hand on her forehead, "Hmm, your head feels hot. Maybe you should lie down." Zelda, in a sudden panic, smacked his hand away and shouted, "I'm fine!" Link put his hands up and backed away, "Ok, my bad." 'For some reason, she always seems mad at me…' He sighed.

Malon noted this exchange, thought about the situation, and then put two and two together. Whispering in Zelda's ear she pried, "O ho-! You weren't imagining Link naked by any chance were you?" "WHA-!" Hit the nail right on the head. As expected of Malon. "D-don't say weird stuff!" Malon giggled suggestively, "You know, you could wait till late at night and sneak into his room when the lights are out. I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

-In Malon's Mind-

Link was about to fall asleep when his sharp senses noticed someone walking in front of his door, stop, and open it. Zelda was standing there in her night clothes, looking at him cutely, "L-link. Is it alright if I come in?" As she was speaking, part of her top slipped down past her shoulder exposing part of her chest. Link, at that point, turned into a stuttering mess. "Z-zelda! Wha- your shirt!" Zelda had made her way over to him, kneeled down and got closer to him, "It's really hot. Can I take this off?"

-End of Perverted fantasy-

Malon was blushing, with sparkles in her eyes going, "Kyaaaaa-! So romantic!" Zelda deadpanned. 'I don't even want to know what just went through your head. Stupid perverted writer.' And after shamelessly breaking the fourth wall everyone made their way to their rooms. Malon and Zelda were, of course, sleeping in the same room as well as a few of their other friends. Link was bunking with Fledge, the small boy from their class, Pipin, one of the more popular boys among the girls. He never let it get to his head though. And finally, Groose.

Groose had figured it was fate that his 'love rival' (although he didn't really consider Link a threat, being that, in his mind, Link was nothing more than a perverted, nerdy, wimp. What a guy) was bunking in the same room as him. "So, what do you guys wanna do first?" Pipin asked the group, "Shall we hit the baths or check out the sights?" Fledge, although quietly, muttered, "I'm going to go in later. So I'll go look around." Pipin turned to Groose and Link, "What about you two?" Link was about to answer when Groose grabbed his shoulder and said, "We're gonna hang back and finish getting the room ready. We'll catch up later." Pipin, although worried about why Groose was so nice all of a sudden, decided not to press the issue and left.

Groose listened to the retreating footsteps before he turned on Link, "Alright 'pal'. I don't know who you think you are to be hanging around Zelda like that, but if you think I'm just gonna sit by and let you have your way, you've got another thing comin' punk!" Link, however, wasn't even paying attention to the over-muscled teen's rant. "What's a hot spring?" Link asked, completely disregarding the previous dialogue. Groose just looked at him, "Huh?" 'Is this guy for real? He's just trying to make himself look even more like an idiot to trip me up! Yeah, that's it…' He decided to answer this and 'play along' to Link's 'obviously devious plan' and replied, "Hot spring. Ya know, hot water that was heated by a volcano and people bathe in it for fun? Where have you been living, the dark ages?" Link nervously chuckled, "Uhh….something like that…" 'You have no idea…' Groose shook his head over dramatically, "Man, I can't believe I was even thinking Zelda was interested in you. You're a complete idiot! No way she'd go for a guy like you." Groose stretched and said, "That's a relief, well I'm going to get in the hot springs now, see ya!" And with that, Groose strode out the door leaving Link, who was extremely confused and trying to figure out what had just happened. "Uhh…ok?"

Zelda wasn't having such a 'fun' experience bonding with her room mates. Her roommates were, Malon, Ruto, a feisty, tomboy who lived on the shore of Lake Hylia before moving to Hylla, and Karane, a firey red head who demanded that women be shown respect and that men should learn some chivalry. When they had settled down, the girls had begun chatting about random stuff. Unfortunately for Zelda, their topic of discussion at this point, was Link. After a little teasing from Malon, which had prompted an angry retort from Zelda, Link's name was mentioned. The girls, being who they were, immediately asked Zelda all of the usual questions, to which Malon replied for her. "You mean the new guy, Link?" "Yep!" "I bet she has a crush on him!" "Uh-huh!" "But wait, I thought they were cousins?" "Not by blood." "Oooooo!" All the girls, aside from Zelda burst into a fit of giggles and teasing, to which Zelda responded by denying all of their claims. "Geez, I'm going to take a bath now." Zelda huffed and walked out. Malon giggled, "This is going to be an interesting trip…"

Zelda was heading to the changing room, all the while muttering to herself. "Stupid Malon…..no idea what she's talking about….do not like him….oof!" Zelda then collided with Pipit who was just heading out. "Ow! Hey watch where you're….oh hey Zelda. You ok?" Zelda nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little distracted is all." Pipit crossed his arms and tilted his head to one side, "Really? That's not like you Zelda. What's wrong?" Zelda waved her hands in front of her, "It's really nothing serious…" Pipit watched her for a few more seconds before shrugging, "Alright, but if you want to talk about it, I'm in the room at the end of the hall." Zelda nodded and smiled, "Thank you for your concern." Pipit returned the smile, "No problem. There is something that's bothering me though…" Pipit closed his eyes in concentration, "What is Prof. Shad being so nice for? I heard he paid for this whole trip out of his own pocket." That caught her attention. "Yeah? That is weird…" Pipit shrugged again and walked off saying, "Well, I guess we should enjoy it while we can, right? See ya." Zelda replied, "Yeah…" Then she headed to the girls bath so she could think.

Prof. Shad was sitting in his room putting all of his stuff in place for the duration of the trip. "Phew, good thing Owlan owes me a few favors or this would have been really expensive…" His eyes rested on a book that sat next to his things, "If I can prove my theory, however, it would be well worth it…" With that, he set out to the baths to contemplate his next move.

Link decided that it would be better if he scouted out the area with Fi before he would enter the hot spring, even though he was really interested about the spring. Link managed to sneak the goddess sword in a large bag that Kaepora had given him to pack his things in. _"Link, although I agree that keeping the goddess sword with you in case of an attack is a wise decision, I am afraid, just like with school, you cannot carry a weapon in broad daylight. So take this with you and put your clothes on top of your sword." _

He had walked a good distance away from the inn before starting to search for traps or threats but everything seemed fine. Fi informed Link that she could detect enemies within 400 yards of the sword itself. "Master, I can sense no monsters in the immediate area. I will keep a watch and alert you should I find something out of the ordinary." Link nodded and, after a few more hours of searching, the sun was setting so he headed back. As he neared the building he began to think out loud, "I should probably do a patrol just in case. Ganondorf might try to kidnap Zelda while my guard is down. I need to be more cautious." Fi chimed in agreement, "Yes. It would be wise to watch for the descendant of the demon king." Link turned to Fi, "Huh?" Before he could ask there was a loud scream followed by a crashing sound. "That sounded like Zelda!" Link rushed into the building to find her.

-a few minutes earlier-

Zelda was soaking in the hot water after she had finished washing herself so she could relax. 'Ah, it feels so nice…I wonder how long it's been since I last went to a hot spring.' Zelda was in the far side of the large bath near the wall that separates the boys and the girls, and most of the other girls were on the opposite side, either soaking in the water like Zelda was or washing each other's backs. This gave Zelda some space to think about some of the things Pipit had mentioned without being interrupted. 'He was right though. It is odd that Prof. Shad would even bring us here, much less pay for it himself. He's usually so uptight about everything. Hmm….' Zelda could feel that there was something more to this trip than the professor was letting on. Try as she might, however, she could not think of a single reason as to why. Zelda sighed and sank lower into the water. She'd be getting out soon. Bathing too long in a hot spring isn't good for you.

'Heh heh heh….' Zelda sat up quickly and looked around. What was that? It sounded like a male voice. She eyed the wall suspiciously and covered up her 'important' parts with her arm. 'Probably some pervert trying to peek in on the girl's bath… I swear, if Link is doing anything funny I'll….' 'Beware…..' Zelda backed away from the wall but knew that the voice didn't come from a human. Zelda felt a hand shoot out of the water and grab her arm. Zelda screamed and fought against it. It let go and sank back into the water. A loud crash was heard as a body burst through the separating wall. "Zelda!" Groose was standing there, in his full glory, looking for who had attacked her. In his mind, Link had snuck in and tried to have his way with her and Groose was going to save her and make her fall in love with him. However, this was nowhere near the case. His eyes rested on Zelda who, during the shock of the hand and the destruction of the wall, was still standing there covering herself with her hands.

Now, as most men know, when something like this happens, our minds do not process information quickly enough to act accordingly to the situation and practice common decency. This causes natural order to take place in poor Groose. Natural order being, standing there like an idiot with his mouth hanging open and blood pouring from his nose. Zelda's face turned bright red in fury and yelled, "What do you think you're doing!?" Picking up the nearest thing she could, a rock about the size of a softball, she threw it at him and hit him in the face. Groose made no effort to dodge, still in a trance, and took the blow full force and fell backwards back into the boy's section. By now, the teachers and chaperones had started to herd all of the boys and girls out of the baths.

Link was trying to figure out where Zelda was and almost entered the women's bath by accident, but Malon grabbed him by the collar and pulled him away. "I don't think so 'Mr. hero'. If you don't wanna die, I wouldn't go in there." Link protested, "I heard her scream! She might be in danger!" Malon shook her head, "She's fine. Trust me. Just wait here, she'll be out in a minute." Link, against his instincts, decided to wait. Sure enough, a few minutes later, a very angry and embarrassed Zelda, walked out of the bath. 'Uh-oh…' Link wondered if it was alright for him to be there right then. "Are you ok?" Malon asked. Zelda answered, "No," and stomped away.

'Din help whoever makes her angry…' Link thought watching Zelda go back to her room. Malon followed after her and turned saying, "I'll figure out what happened." Link stood there, confused, and tried to assess the situation. Fi chimed in, "Master, I felt an evil presence a few moments ago. It was coming from inside the baths. Link looked at the entrance. Later tonight, he would investigate. Unfortunately for him, Zelda had the same thought.

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**Well, part two is now out! If some parts of this are a little weird or, God forbid, offensive, (my interpretation of girl's conversations) I'm a guy. Being such, I know next to nothing about what women talk about when they are alone with other women. Sue me. Anyways, what had grabbed Zelda in the bath? Did Ganondorf send a creature to kidnap the princess? What will happen when both Link and Zelda check out the baths? Is Groose still alive from taking that hit!? Find out in the next chapter! Would love more reviews! I love to hear what people think of my stories and the ideas they have to make it more interesting. I am partially writing this for me, but it's mostly for you guys! So don't be shy! Tell me what you think would make this story a little better! Also, I still have the poll up and only two people, myself included, have voted. If no one else votes I will not do any of them. Until next time!**


	10. Hot Springs Adventure Arc Part Three

**Glint: I am glad that you enjoy this story! I realize that but for some reason, when I go to edit it, it looks fine. =P**

**Zeldax: I am glad that I sort of got that right. What is shad up to indeed? I agree that it is good to go against the flow. Hope you continue enjoying the random crap that vomits from my brain :D**

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The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Present

I do not own the Legend of Zelda© or any of its characters.

Chapter 10: Hot Springs Adventure (Part 3)

After the uproar of the earlier incident had died down, all of the students were sent back to their rooms. Well, all of them except for Groose, who was still in shock from seeing Zelda naked, or almost anyways. He was being scolded fiercely by the teachers for being an indecent hooligan, troublemaker, etc. etc. Link decided that he would sneak out when he had the chance so that he could investigate the baths, where Fi had informed him that she had felt the evil presence. So, when he was sure that his roommates were fast asleep, he quietly got up, grabbed the goddess sword, and left the room. He quickly, but quietly, made his way down the halls towards the baths.

Thanks to his excellent hearing he managed to avoid the detection of the teachers that were patrolling the halls. Not as dangerous as maneuvering through the Sacred Meadow maze with all of those Moblins, but still, it had the same effect. After a few more minutes of careful sneaking, he finally made it to the men's bath. Stepping inside, Link found himself in a small room with a multi layered shelf that had baskets lined up inside them. Looking inside them, he found that they were empty. "That's odd, why would there be a bunch of empty baskets in here?" Link asked himself. Fi appeared beside him, "Master, I have analyzed the earlier behavioral patterns of the other humans. This 'Hot Spring' is a place where one bathes in an open bath for recreation. There is a 90% chance that these baskets are used to store a person's items or clothing while bathing. We should adhere to the culture to avoid trouble."

Link frowned and crossed his arms in front of him, thinking. 'Why would people leave their items in a basket unprotected? I guess thieves aren't a big issue in this era.' Link shrugged and began to remove his clothing. He stopped and looked at Fi expectantly. "Yes master?" She inquired. "Uh, do you mind?" Although she was a spirit, she still resembled a girl. To Link, it still counted. "Not at all master. I shall wait until you finish." But she didn't move. She just floated there. "Could you…possibly wait somewhere else?" Fi tilted her head but nodded, "I shall comply master." With that, she floated outside.

**-Warning! The following paragraph may cause deluded fantasies of a naked video game character and random nose bleeds. The author does not take responsibility for the dirty thoughts of the readers or any injuries to self or others due to "fangasms". The author would also like to say that fangirls should resist drooling on the keyboard if they are affected by a "naked fantasy". Thank you.-**

He began by taking off his shoes. He then began unbuckling the belt around his waist and took off his pants. When that was done, he lifted his shirt over his head and placed it in the basket with his pants. Link also began to take off his chainmail, hesitantly, which he always wore under everything, much to Zelda's chagrin. She complained that if anyone saw it that it would cause trouble for them. Once that was done, he also removed his pouch that held his items (did you really think he would leave it behind?) and placed it in the basket. Finally, he removed his undergarments and put them aside. A loud splash was heard inside. After making sure that he hadn't forgotten anything, he grabbed his sword and stepped through the curtain, into the bath.

Unbeknownst to Link, someone had been following him. Shortly after he had entered the bath, another figure entered the changing room. The person began sifting through his clothing before holding up his chain mail and mumbling, "Getting more and more suspicious…..just as I thought….." the figure then picked up his pouch and began to pullout his items while he quietly exclaimed, "What the!? How….!? It must be!" He replaced the items and slowly peeked through the curtains. He would need only one more piece of evidence before being fully satisfied. Making sure he wasn't followed, he drew back the curtains and stepped inside, quickly disappearing in the steam.

Link was taken aback at the size of the bath. Not even Hyrule Castle had something this large. "How do they heat it all!?" He wondered aloud. Shaking off his curiosity, he began to look around. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. It just looked like a huge bath. There was, however, a large, makeshift barrier around a certain section of the wall which puzzled Link. "Fi, are you sure it's around here?" Link turned to the floating spirit girl behind him. She silently closed her eyes, as if in thought, and said, "It was on the other side of that wall," She motioned to the wall that divided the genders, "But master, I sense three more presences. Two are on the other side, and the other is in this room. However, the heat and steam is making it hard to make out their identities. Forgive me master." Link narrowed his eyes and looked around carefully. Someone had followed him? How did he not notice? Link mentally berated himself on his lack of caution before noticing a shadowy figure moving from inside the steam.

Zelda had taken great pains to sneak out of her room. This was so unlike her! She was supposed to be a good girl! A model student! Now here she was, sneaking out of her room, going to a bath to look for an evil presence that had groped her while she bathed. She had considered trying to find Link and ask him to help, but it seemed too risky to try. Earlier that day, after Malon had tried to calm her down, she realized that when she screamed, Link had heard it and was worried. She had noticed him when she stormed out of the changing room, but she was so mad at Groose and the male species in general, that she purposely ignored him. It felt justifiable at the time. She would apologize later. Right now, there were more important matters to take care of. "Are you sure you weren't imagining things?" A voice whispered beside her.

Yeah, Malon had followed her. Zelda had figured that, since they were best friends, Malon deserved to know what had shaken her up so bad besides Groose's 'entrance' in his full nude glory. "I wish…" Zelda whispered, more to herself than Malon. So far, they hadn't been detected. Most of that was due to Zelda's quick thinking and subtlety. Zelda didn't know what or how it happened, but it suited her just fine. Like a separate entity had taken control of her senses and sharpened them. She moved so quickly and quietly that even Link would be amazed. She had to slow down though to make up for Malon. "Geez Zel, since when could you move like this?" She asked. Zelda wasn't sure how to answer. It was a lot like the dreams she had when Link first showed up. It just felt…natural. Like she had done stuff like this for a long time.

When they had finally reached the entrance to the women's bath Zelda stopped. She tried to see if she could feel the presence like she did earlier. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Maybe she did imagine it? No. That hand had felt too real. "I'm going in." Zelda declared. Malon grinned and mocked a salute, "Aye sir!" Zelda rolled her eyes and gave Malon a look before walking inside. Malon was about to do the same, when another person caught her eye. He had shaggy, dirty blonde hair, fierce blue eyes, and a well-toned body. "Fufufu…this will certainly be interesting…" Malon silently laughed to herself as she ducked inside, "Maybe I should 'help' them out as best I can…fufufu, I'm so glad I tagged along."

Zelda was about to step into the bath when Malon pulled her back. "What?" Zelda asked irritably. "Well, I figured that since we were here and all, it'd be a shame not to at least bathe." Malon said innocently. Zelda raised an eyebrow, "What are you talking about? Besides, I already bathed." Fearing she would lose her chance, Malon added, "Well I didn't get to because of your little commotion. You owe me this at least." Zelda thought for a minute. She was right. Technically, it was her fault that the students had been forced out of the baths, even though she had good reasons. Malon, a little more confidently, also added, "And what if you need to be bathing for it to show itself? Maybe it's just a perverted ghost and will only show itself when you are naked."

Zelda knew it wasn't the case. It had felt evil. Still, what Malon had said did make some sense, which was kind of amazing in itself. "Fine. But not for long." And with that, they both undressed and entered the baths.

Zelda entered the bath water slowly, afraid that as soon as she stepped in, the thing would attack her. Malon was noticeably less cautious. She immediately jumped in the steaming hot water. "Fuah~! This feels so good!" Malon sighed in contentment. Zelda deadpanned. After all that trouble of being quiet… Nonetheless, Zelda began to trace her way back to the spot where she had been attacked. She didn't feel anything out of the ordinary. She frowned and tried to recall what had happened exactly. She didn't get much time, because at that moment, something crashed through the wall and landed in the bath with a loud splash.

Zelda covered herself quickly, after that experience with Groose, she wasn't going to take any chances. She heard coughing and felt the water moving. "Ow…was that the presence you felt earlier?" Wait, she knew this voice… "Affirmative master. I Am 95% sure that this is the creature that was here earlier." Ok, she definitely knew that voice. A shadowy shape in front of her came into view, and when the steam dissipated, she nearly had a panic attack. Instead of the beefy, slightly narcissistic, teen that had intruded earlier, standing before her, in equal naked glory, was the blonde haired hero, Link.

Zelda felt her mind explode. It seemed that the temperature inside the baths rose greatly. She could barely make a sound as she took in the sight, knowing that she should look away, but too entranced to try. Her eyes roamed over his features, his shaggy hair was dripping wet and some of it clung to his face. His lean, muscular frame was perfectly visible. His arms were also muscled but not too much so. It was perfect. She felt her face grow dangerously hot. She was lucky that the steam rising off of the water and the rippling obscured his more…'private' areas. "Master, I suggest….."

Link lowered his sword slightly and looked at Fi. "Fi? What is it? Where are you…Gah!?" As he turned to look in the direction that Fi was gazing, his eyes met an unexpected sight. Not even three feet away from him, stood a very red, very embarrassed, Zelda. Link couldn't move. Goddesses know he wanted to. To cover up, apologize, look away, anything! However, the male mind is a cruel being. It seems to stop functioning at the wrong moments. His eyes swept over her features. Her hair fell past her shoulders helping her cover what her hands were trying to cover as well. Her skin looked so soft. Water droplets fell from her dripping hair and rolled down her body. Link recovered quickly and averted his eyes, "Er….uh…sorry about this, but we kinda have an issue here."

Zelda barely registered his words. Her mind was filled with other thoughts. 'H-he saw me! He saw me n-naked! What do I- what do I do!?' She struggled to keep her more… 'lewd' thoughts under control. _"Kekekee. This is an interesting development…" _A voice sounded from where Link was now struggling to keep his attention focused. That snapped Zelda out of her trance. The steam blew apart and a chill wind swept across them. There, floating in the mist, was what looked like a bundle of cloth with chains surrounding it. Two thin 'arms' extended from the fabric, one had a large lantern at the end of it. Near the middle, the cloth pulled around into what looked like a hood. Two yellow ethereal eyes stared back from within. _"I do believe it is time I introduced myself. I am known as Big Poe. However, I am the youngest of my two brothers." _

Link silently cursed. He was at a clear disadvantage in the water. Add to the fact that he had to protect Zelda while trying to be decent, things couldn't get any worse could they? "Zelda!? What was that…oh wow…" Yep. It can…. At that moment, Link knew for certain the goddesses were angry at him for something. Or they had a real sick sense of humor.

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**OH BOY! Slight Fanservice! (I will not do anything lemon so don't worry or ask. However, depending on either my mood or if I feel like making a total fool out of myself, the rating may change due to...other things...) I hope you have enjoyed my 10th installment of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Present! Wow! Ten chapters already!? For me, that is a huge deal. I have never finished a project this huge. I figure I will keep it going for 20 more chapters or more! And it's all because of you guys and gals! Seriously, you all rock! I have only had two votes on my poll that have had up for about a month. Due to that, it will be taken down and replaced with a new one. 'Which Character do you want to see more of?' In this poll, I will take the top 3 and try my best to include them into the story more. So anyways, keep on reviewing so I can keep on writing! Until next time!**


	11. Hot Springs Adventure Arc Part Four

**Zeldax: I'm really glad you enjoy my story and i'm sorry that I can't update quickly (will explain at the bottom) but thank you for your review and I hope I can continue to make you laugh.**

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The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Present

I do not own the Legend of Zelda© or any of its characters.

Chapter 11: Hot Spring Adventure part 4

There were three things running through Zelda's head while she was standing in the warm water of the Eldin Hot Spring. One, Link was standing about five feet away, completely nude. Two, Zelda was also naked. Three, Link looked really good without a shirt on….I mean, why was there a huge, disgusting looking ghost attacking them? For Malon, only one thing ran through her head. 'Hello gorgeous…' "Master, this creature is emitting the same aura I felt earlier today. However, it is much weaker than before. I will need to analyze this data more thoroughly before I can ascertain the reason." Link nodded and once again readied his stance. _"Kekeke….you have some fighting spirit I see. Too bad, I cannot play with you anymore today. We shall meet again soon, hero. Kekekekeke…."_ With that, the phantom vanished.

Link, however, was wary of a sneak attack and asked, "Fi, do you still sense it?" A few seconds passed, then, "No master, I can no longer feel the presence of evil." Link sighed and scratched his head in thought, 'That was odd…what purpose would a poe have to attack a hot spring?' He turned to ask Zelda what she thought. "Kyaaaaaaaa!" *Thwack* A loud sound echoed off the walls. Link was stunned. Not from the slight stinging on his cheek or the fact the Zelda's hand was raised for a second strike, but of his own stupidity. How could he forget in that short amount of time that Zelda wasn't clothed!?

He would have gotten hit again if a new sound hadn't made itself known. "It's true…you…I…" All three teens turned to the voice. Zelda, in a panic, hid behind Link. Malon backed away a few steps (swam, whatever.) Standing in the mist, with his eyes wide and his mouth open, was their professor, Shad. "You…you are the hero that was lost over a thousand years ago…that means…you….you're a…" Stomping feet and shouts echoed through the halls as teachers came running to find the source of the commotion. Shad looked at the door and back to Link, "Find somewhere to hide, I'll lead them away." Malon went back to get her towel and returned saying, "I can help." Link nodded and dared to glance behind him, "Sorry about this." And he grabbed Zelda by the hand and led her to the edge of the bath quickly. Grabbing a pair of towels that had been lying near them, he gave one to Zelda to cover up.

Link looked around. There were some small trees and large rocks in a corner of the bath so he decided to hide there. He pushed Zelda into the corner and backed himself in to keep her covered better. The trees and rocks were positioned just close enough to hide them from an untrained eye. Link could hear the voices of the teachers and Malon as Shad and her tried to explain what they were doing. They were trying to convince them that Malon had woken up and decided to go to the baths to relax herself back to sleep. Since it was Malon, it had already provided a good amount of believability. Link tensed as a teacher looked around the area, obviously not fully convinced. He backed up further until he noticed something pressing against his back. "Link….it's already pretty cramped in here. If you back up any further I'll be crushed." It was Zelda. But since she was back there…that meant…what was against his back was...oh goddesses…..

Link inched forward quickly, "Sorry…" A very awkward silence passed between the two. The sounds of talking became less tense and nervous. Seems the teachers were beginning to buy the story. "Hey…" Zelda's voice was quiet. "Uh…yeah?" Link asked in a hushed tone. "Is your…face alright?" Link blinked in confusion. 'My face? What is she…oh….OH!' Link scratched his cheek sheepishly, "Uh…yeah…I've been hit by worse." Truthfully, it wasn't the actual hit that wounded him. It was that 'Zelda' had hit him. Zelda had never so much as raised her voice at him when they were together. His Zelda anyways. Still, it hurt him. But Link knew that he deserved it. Once again, his powers of observation had failed him. Almost like the time when he tried to cross Hyrule field without bringing any water and almost died. Impa had saved him then. "Sorry….about earlier…" Link mumbled awkwardly. Zelda blinked in surprise, "Ah! No, it wasn't your fault! I was just….it caught me off guard….so…" Zelda moved forward as she was speaking and pressed herself against him without thinking about it.

Link tensed as he realized what was against his back again. At that moment, Fi decided to be helpful, "Master, I sense your body temperature has increased rapidly." Zelda, always observant, tried to lean around to see his face, the shift causing Link to tense even more, "What's wrong? Did you stay in the water too long?" Link shook his head quickly, "I-It's nothing. I'm just tired." Zelda frowned but after a few more seconds, much to Link's relief, (and slight disappointment, though he'd never admit it) she backed off. The talking outside died down around them, "Looks like some of the teachers didn't buy the story completely." Link thought aloud as the a few teachers, including Shad, stuck around after Malon had been reprimanded and escorted out to sit in the hallway.

Link sighed, "Looks like we'll be stuck here for a while…" He heard shuffling behind him. Judging by how it sounded, he knew it was a nervous one. "Link…" said person slightly nodded to show he was listening. "Can you tell me about your home?" The question took Link by surprise. They were both standing in a tight space, clothed only in towels, together, and she asks him to reminisce? "What do you want to know?" Zelda was silent for a few seconds, and then replied, "As much as you're willing to tell me. I realized it during our time getting the first flame, I don't know anything about you other than the fact you're from a long lost era and have to fight an evil king. I want to know more about you…to pass time you know?" Link thought for a minute, arranged his thoughts, and said, "Alright. I'll tell you about the story of a boy, who became a legend."

He began at the very beginning when he awoke to Navi, his fairy guardian, who summoned him to the Great Deku Tree. He told of the Lost Woods, the Kokiri, and Saria. He told her about traveling to castle town and meeting the princess of destiny, she giggled when he described getting past the guards. He told of the dodongos, gorons, and their music loving chief, Darunia. Next he described the zoras and the fiery princess that was among them. He told of Malon, Talon, and Mr. Ingo of Lon Lon ranch. All the while, she listened intently.

Just as he was about to tell of 'his' Zelda's escape from Hyrule Castle, he heard Shad call out to the other teachers that there were no signs of any other students in the baths. The teachers began to file out and as the last one left, Shad made a gesture that signaled 'all clear' and left as well. Link looked around, "Coast is clear…" He stepped out of the hiding spot and motioned for Zelda to follow. (Overused, romance development plot device, Activate!) As Zelda made her way out, her foot caught the edge of a rock and she fell forward. Link turned to try and stop her fall, but was knocked over as well. "Ow….ow…" Zelda winced. "Uh…Zelda? Um…are you alright?" Zelda looked up and saw Link looking off to the side. His face was flushed and he seemed to be struggling with something. Zelda looked around and realized two things. One, when she had fell, she landed on Link, again. Two, her towel was lying right next to her. "Ah…ah….KYAAAAAAAA!"

That night, sleep didn't come easy for any of them.

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**Man this one was short! It was because I kinda wrote myself into a corner with this one and I couldn't go anywhere else with it. Besides, I figure I needed a chapter or two of mostly Link and Zelda becoming closer and starting to understand their feelings. Also, I apologize for not updating quickly. My friends constantly tell me that I have the memory of a goldfish and the attention span of a chipmunk. it is very hard for me to concentrate on something for any prolonged period of time, but I will try to write these quicker. Hope you enjoyed this little tidbit. Until next time!**


	12. Hot Springs Adventure Arc Part Five

**Zeldax: :3 Thank you for understanding! and for being the person who has reviewed the most, here is 100 cyber cookies! **

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The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Present

I do not own the Legend of Zelda© please support the official release.

Chapter 12: Hot Springs Adventure V

Zelda ached. Even more than when she had arrived at the hot springs. After she had screamed, the teachers rushed back in and found them. After a fierce scolding, a promise to call their parents, and a whole night of squatting in the hallway, Zelda was sore. Link hadn't helped either. He fell asleep while he was squatting. She didn't comment on it though. It made the situation less awkward. Shad told the teachers that he would handle their punishment afterwards and they left it at that. Zelda and Link were also not allowed to be alone together, so they asked one volunteer from each room to stay with them at all times. For Zelda, Malon had also gotten in trouble so she was out. That left Ruto and Karane. Karane Immediately refused, so Ruto was picked by process of elimination. For Link, after hearing that he needed to be watched when he was with Zelda, Groose jumped at the chance.

Groose figured Zelda hated him now and believed Link was at fault somehow. So he took this opportunity to try and embarrass him in front of her, thereby making Zelda hate Link and not himself. After this was decided, things went about as normal. Until rumors started to fly around. Zelda was the first to hear of them, "Zelda….is it true..? You and Link…..did you guys….You know…" Zelda would shout and deny all of the accusations which further fueled the rumors. Link was questioned by the guys a little more harshly. They chased him around and tried to attack him all the while crying, "You lucky son of gun!" "Get back here you dog!" "How could you!?" The only ones who had calmly listened to his explanation were Pipit and Fledge.

"So it was a simple misunderstanding?" Link nodded his head. Pipit frowned and closed his eyes in thought. Then he opened them and looked Link directly in his eyes. 'He could be a fine solider…' Link thought as he returned the unwavering gaze. Pipit kept this up for a few seconds before smirking and clapping Link on the back, "I figured as much. You don't seem like that type of person. Unlike Groose…" While he was speaking, said person entered. "Speak of the devil and he appears…" Pipit muttered under his breath. "Oi! Perv! Let's go. I don't feel like being cooped up all day." Groose bellowed. Link rose and sighed, "For the hundredth time, it was an accident. I merely wanted to see what the baths looked like and was curious about the broken wall," Groose noticeably got nervous and red, "And when I pressed on it I fell through." Groose was fighting back the images that flooded his head and walked out, "Yeah, yeah, let's just go." Link followed.

Link walked a few steps ahead of Groose so that he was in clear sight. Link decided he would try talking to his warden. Shad was supposed to talk to them later so, he decided to pass time. "So Groose, is it true that you hung a kid by his underwear in the bathroom?" Groose snorted and said, "No. That rumor was started when a kid went to the bathroom that I happened to be in and forgot to fix himself before he walked out. His underwear was sticking up over his pants and when I walked out, everyone assumed that's what had happened." Link thought for a moment, "So it was a misunderstanding?" Groose opened his mouth to say something like, "Of course it was you idiot!" but Link was giving him a pointed look. Groose settled for his traditional, "Hmph!" and kept walking.

Link kept making conversation with Groose and found out that he wasn't that bad of a guy. Sure he looked huge but he actually hated to fight saying that, "If it ain't necessary I don't see a reason to." He had a big head but that was who he was. He thought highly of himself to balance out the pain he felt from the bad rumors people spread about him. "Anyways, what relation do you have to Zelda?" Link eyed him carefully, "What do you mean?" Groose stopped and looked at him, "I can tell you two aren't related. It's not just your face, or your hair, you have a different feel to you. I can't explain it, but I know it's true." Link chose his next words carefully, "It must be your imagination. I am her cousin, I lived out in the country of Ordon my whole life. We never met much." Groose regarded him and shrugged, "I guess you're right. My instincts are usually wrong anyways." Link inwardly sighed in relief. He was sharper than people give him credit for. They continued to walk around the area of the complex.

As they were passing the backside of the hot springs area (due to three people sneaking out and a boy going into the girl's bath, bathing was prohibited for the day.) Link saw a small wooden door. "Where does that go?" He asked. Groose looked to where he was pointing, "What are you asking me for? I don't know." Link frowned and headed towards it. "Oi! Hey!" Groose lumbered after him. When Link approached the door, he was hit with an unpleasant feeling. It was the same kind of feeling he got when he entered the shadow temple for the first time. It still gave him nightmares. He felt a cold chill run through his entire body, like an ominous wind had blown from inside the door. Link backed away. That place was filled with evil. And something…not human….

Groose looked at him closely, "Hey, you alrig…..what's that on your hand!?" Link looked down quickly and saw the Triforce mark was shining brightly, reacting to the evil presence. Link shoved his hand in his pocket and said, "It's a tattoo. I got it when I was little." Groose narrowed his eyes, then turned and headed back, "Whatever, I'm bored so let's go back." Link nodded and walked back with him. It was time to see Shad and 'discuss' their 'punishment' for what happened last night. "Uh….hey…Link?" "Yeah?" Groose rubbed the back of his pompadour nervously, "When you see Zelda, can you, apologize to her for me? Just tell her Groose said, 'I'm really sorry for what happened yesterday.'" Link nodded and said, "Alright. I won't ask what it was about, but I can tell you're sincere." Groose watched him for a moment, "You know, you're…..nah, forget it. Let's go troublemaker." And they both headed back to where Shad was waiting with Zelda.

Zelda was nervous. Shad knew now. There was no telling what he was liable to do with this information. He might turn Link over to some kind of secret organization to be tested on or the government. Both of these were highly unlikely as neither group would believe the story anyways, but Zelda was panicking. Malon was just standing around looking bored and uninterested. Link walked into the room with Shad and he closed the door. "So, as for your punishment regarding yesterday. That was a blatant disregard for the rules and common decency. You three should be ashamed of yourselves…" He waited a few minutes listening for footsteps and adopted a more inquisitive tone, "And start explaining. Now."

Link looked at Zelda and Malon then stepped forward, "My name is Link. I was born in the golden era of Hyrule during the Great War. Due to circumstances beyond comprehension, I was chosen to wield a great power to stop the rise of an evil king. During our second battle, I was cursed to sleep for a thousand years. Now that I've awoken, he will rise again." Shad stood in stunned silence. Zelda expected him to yell and call them liars or laugh or do something other than say, "Ok. I believe you." This caught the whole party off guard.

Seeing their confusion he walked over to his bags and pulled out a small book, "Truth is, I have been suspicious of you since the day you entered my classroom. When you stood up and read the ancient Hylian text as if it were second nature, I was doubly suspicious. If your parents had taught that language to you, they were either stingy of their knowledge of the Hylian culture, or….it was a lie. Judging by the mark on your left hand and what you have just told me, it must be the latter of the two." Shad gave the book to Zelda and reached into his bag again and pulled out the goddess sword, "I picked it up before the other teachers could get to it. Your friend here gave me most of the details already." Being mentioned, Fi appeared next to the blade, "Master, forgive me for acting without consulting you, but I can sense he means no harm." Link waved it off, "So what now?" Shad eyed him with great interest, "Now, you answer my questions about the hylians."

After a few hours of grueling questions, Shad allowed them to leave, satisfied with what he had learned and promised not to reveal his secret as long as Link would translate/describe the contents he acquired from his peers. Link, Zelda, and Malon started heading back to their rooms when they were finished. Link wanted to talk to Zelda about the strange feeling he felt earlier from that door, but for some reason, she kept herself at least five feet away from him at all times. 'Maybe it was because of yesterday's incident…' He shook his head forcing the thoughts away. He decided the more indirect approach.

"Hey Malon?" "Yeah? What is it?" "I found something weird earlier today. A door that was under the back end of the hot springs on the outside of the complex. Any idea as to where it could lead?" Malon frowned and thought, "Storage room? I dunno." Zelda kept her distance but listened in. "I felt something dark and evil behind that door. Are there any rumors or legends about this place?" Malon thought again, "Well, they say that this area used to be a sacred burial ground. A town used to be here I think." For some reason, Zelda felt as if she should know this. Something tugged at the back of her memory. Village…burial ground…shadow spirits…something about it all seemed to be connected. Link's voice broke her from her thoughts, "I'm going to check it out. Fi told me that the evil presence in the baths and the one I felt earlier are the same." Malon asked, "You mean 'we' right?" Link shook his head, "No. I can't risk putting you two in danger or allow you to get into trouble again. I'll be fine…" The last part he added with little confidence. If this place was where he thought it was, his worst dreams would be realized.

Zelda realized what he meant. He was afraid. Something about the way he spoke made her feel he didn't want to go alone. But she knew he was going to go regardless. Because he felt obligated. He was going to put himself in danger again to keep her safe. And that made her angry. "We're going, Link. And nothing you say can stop us." Zelda spoke up. Link once again shook his head, "I won't allow it. I swore to your father I'd keep you safe. It's my duty." Zelda stamped her foot and glared at him, "I don't care about your duty! I'm tired of sitting back and watching you do all of the dangerous stuff while I'm protected," as she was yelling, her Triforce piece lit up, "We can do this the easy way, or the hard way!" When she finished her tirade, the light faded. Link watched her carefully. She seemed set on it. That determination and fierce gaze…he'd only seen it once on her before. And at that point, she wasn't even Zelda. "Alright, but only if you both promise to leave if something bad happens." Both girls nodded and Link sighed. There was no winning with these two…

Zelda was in her room preparing for that night. Malon took the other girls and distracted them at the baths to give her time to prepare. She was nervous. She would have to rely on her senses again like she did before. She just hoped whatever triggered them would happen again so she could use them. As she was rummaging around, she noticed the small bundle her father had given her when she left with Link for the first flame. She hadn't used it, but she did decide to look inside during one of their breaks. All that was in there were some clothes and other items. Seeing them somehow made her feel strange. Like another part of her was calling out from them. She decided to check them again. She opened the bundle and let the contents fall out onto the floor.

Inside was a one piece body suit, some hair ties, throwing needles (!?), a long chain, and some cloth strips.* Why had her father given her this? It looked like it was for a boy. Maybe she was supposed to give it to Link 'when the time was right' or something. Once again, looking at the clothes, she was struck with a sort of nostalgia. This time, however, images began to flash through her head. 'I've been waiting for you…Hero of Time!' 'My name is Sheik, I am the survivor of the Sheikahs.' 'You're coming around…' Like awakening from a deep sleep, Zelda remembered her Sheik form from her past life. 'So, you've called for me again?' Zelda looked around the room, "What…?" 'Don't worry, no one can hear me. Only you. Seems the time has come once again for the hero to slay the great evil…very well, I shall assist you.' A bright flash lit up the room and enveloped Zelda. **

Link cautiously approached the door he had seen earlier that day. Zelda and Malon had taken longer to get here than expected, so he decided he would try to finish it on his own. Slowly, he stretched out his hand and grabbed the door knob. Instantly, dark waves shot out and started to grab at him. Link bit back a curse and leapt back, but one caught his foot and he fell back on his head, hard. The world went black. It was a sensation he was accustomed to by now. The weightlessness that came with incapacitation. After he wakes up, that will be replaced by a painful throbbing, followed by a really bad headache. What he didn't expect was the soft feeling of lying down on something. Confused, he reached down to figure out what it was. It was kind of soft, but a little firm. "Are you finished groping me?" Link's eyes shot open and he rose up a little too quickly. Pain raced across his head making him hiss. "You're coming around…" Surprised, he turned around and faced the one person who was a constant help during his journeys to the six sage's temples. Sheik.

"Sheik…?" Link asked. The other blonde nodded, "It's been a while, hero." What he had been laying on were Sheik's legs. Link laughed and said, "It doesn't seem so long to me." Although Link couldn't see through the layers of cloth, he knew Sheik was smirking, "Indeed. Time seems to favor you so much it refuses to let you go." "Um…what about Zelda…?" Sheik waved of his question, "She's fine. It's much like the first time we met. Her mind is sleeping right now." Link sighed in relief, "Good, it makes me feel better knowing she will be safe." Sheik nodded and said, "You can entrust her to me." Malon cleared her throat, "Not meaning to interrupt your little 'bromance' but don't we have something more important to take care of?" Link and Sheik both stood up and nodded. "Sheik, any idea what it is?" Sheik closed his eyes in thought and said, "It seems that Ganondorf's reawakening caused some evil spirits to rise again. I fear they might try to revive 'him'." Link looked confused, "'Him'?" Sheik glanced at him, "I see. This place has changed indeed. This is the area where Kakariko Village used to be. This building is on top of what was once Kakariko's well."

Link's eyes opened wide in realization and fear. He was right. This was the place where he had fought the darkest shadow. His worst nightmare had been realized. Once again, he would descend into utter darkness to fight. Link shuddered. That place had not been kind to him. During his travels, he didn't dwell on it too much. But after, thoughts of that dark abyss haunted his dreams. Link felt a hand clap his shoulder and he turned to face Sheik. "Get a hold of yourself. Moments ago, you were going to dive in head first to defeat the creatures that lurked there to save Zelda, alone. Why do you hesitate now? The spirit of the warrior inside you would cry in shame if it could. Have courage." Link stood there for a few seconds. Sheik was right, he was being pathetic. He wielded the Triforce of Courage! If Link could not stand up to an enemy he had defeated once before with reckless abandon, how could he call himself a hero? A man!? Link steeled himself and nodded towards Sheik who in turn nodded as well. Link walked towards the door and firmly grasped the handle. Casting all his doubts and fears aside, he turned the handle, threw open the door and stepped into the darkness. Malon and Sheik followed behind him. From the bushes, a large figure watched them. It walked over to the door, looked around, and walked through it after them.

*Sheik's form and appearance are based off of the Super Smash Bros. Brawl version.

**Sheik and Zelda being two different entities or beings are in the manga version of The Legend of Zelda.

***The above being said, NO SHEIK IS NOT GAY! *Ahem* since Sheik is essentially Zelda, It is not considered yaoi, meaning that Sheik merely wrapped Zelda's chest with cloth and tape the way a kunoichi would. The magic merely alters her eyes and voice. (I know I'm rambling but since I am a diehard Zelda fan, stuff like 'LinkXSheik Yaoi Kawaii!' Annoys the ever living crap out of me. That and I am a strong disliker of yaoi or yuri in any form or fashion. If this offends you, you are way too sensitive. I will not apologize for my opinions.)

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***Phew* This has to be the longest chapter I have ever written! Its over 3000 words! And yes I did just reference Dragon Ball Z. That's besides the point though. I decided to make it a little longer than most of the other chapters I had written. That and I wanted to give you something more after that ridiculously short chapter 11. Anyways, enjoy chapter 12 and please await chapters 13 and onwards! Until next time!**


	13. Hot Springs Adventure Arc Part Six

**Zeldax: I'm glad you enjoy the cookies :3 thanks for reading!**

**FFnoob: Oot is easily the best Zelda game, if not the best game overall, ever made! Thanks, I try to either keep their personalities as close to the originals as I can, or fit them to what I think the situation would call for (like the bath scene with Link and Zelda). I'm happy you enjoyed it and I hope you continue to enjoy my story!**

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The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Present

I do not own the Legend of Zelda© or any of its characters, please support the official release.

Chapter 13: Hot Springs Adventure Arc (Part 6)

Deep Underneath the baths of the Eldin Hot Springs, two Poes were silently discussing amongst themselves. "He's undone the spell...he could become a nuisance." The other Poe placed his ethereal hand (?) on the other, "Fear not, **Sharp**, my dear brother. We shall deal with him along with the other intruders. Then the Dark Lord shall restore us to our living bodies, and we shall make music once again." Ghostly laughter echoed all throughout the halls.

"Eeep! D-Did you guys hear something?" Malon asked, fearfully. She hated graveyards and anything to do with the dead since her mother died. Link nodded, "Yeah. Sounded like a Poe. Fi, can you sense anything?" Fi appeared next to him and spoke, "Master, there are many monster signatures down here. As such I cannot pinpoint any specific anomaly for you." Link sighed and thanked Fi for her help. She nodded and fazed back into the sword. "The Poe we met last night spoke of having brothers. I can't think of any monster I've met that had brothers who were Poes. The only ones I can think of are the 'Poe Sisters'. Do you know anything Sheik?" The said teen closed his visible eye and shook his head, "No. I have no memory, magical or otherwise, about this enemy. But I feel as if I should…" Link nodded, "I got the same feeling when I fought one last night." They pondered this as they reached an old wooden door. It looked as if it would fall apart upon touching it. "Let's go." Link said and pushed it open.

When they stepped through, Malon accidentally hit a switch causing flames to appear in lines on the ground. The flames raced through the halls and down a corridor. Both Sheik and Link glanced at Malon, who in turn blushed in embarrassment and said, "At least we can see now!" Sheik nodded and replied, "Yes, but we have also lost the element of surprise. Sometimes, not being able to see allows you to remain unseen." Malon stuck her tongue out at him, and Sheik just chuckled. Link scanned the newly lit room. The walls were cracked and covered with vegetation, moisture was apparent everywhere making it humid and stuffy with the heat coming from the flames. The sounds of scraping filled the room causing Link to draw his sword, "We've got company!" Four Stalfos and a few keese flooded the room. Sheik drew his blade, which was a short katana that he wore near the small of his back, and threw a deku nut yelling, "Shield your eyes!" Link covered his eyes and Malon did the same as a bright flash lit up the room.

The keese were lying on the ground, too blinded to fly, and two of the Stalfos were thrashing wildly as they tried to regain their senses. Sheik leapt in and quickly dispatched them before they could do any harm. Malon was using a stick she had found to fend off the keese that had begun to fly again. Link blocked a strike from one Stalfos and used his sword to deflect another. Link waited for the right moment, then as the Stalfos on his left side readied for a second attack, Link spun around and used his shield, like a spinning back fist, to bash it in the face, stunning it. Using the momentum, he ran his blade through the other Stalfos' ribcage causing it to crumble into dust. And finally, he finished his spin with a quick slice to the first Stalfos' neck as it was about to strike. It stood there for a few seconds before its head tumbled to the ground and the rest of its body with it. Looking around, Sheik and Malon had taken care of the keese and there didn't seem to be any more monsters coming after them. They all sighed in relief.

"Where are we?" Link asked Sheik. "We must be in a section of tunnels that connect the old Kakariko well with the Royal Families tombs." Link groaned and Malon turned a few different shades of white as she realized her 'stick' was in fact a human femur. "Wait…Royal Families tombs? Poes…could it be…"

Just as Link was about to voice his suspicions a voice sounded from nearby. _"My dear brothers…why….? I have to save them…but they are too powerful now….what do I do?"_ Malon nearly jumped out of her skin, and just as Sheik was drawing his blade, Link threw out his hand, "Wait. **Flat**!? Flat is that you?" The sounds stopped, and soon a Poe's head appeared out of a wall. Even in a room full of light, the Poe's face couldn't be seen. He was clothed in green and carried a lantern in one hand and a sword/baton in the other. _"Who are you?"_ He asked and Malon went down for the count. Sheik tended to her and Link walked closer to him and said, "I'm Link. You told me how to find the song you and your brother worked on before you died. Remember?" The Poe was silent for a while, then the flame in his lantern seemed to glow brighter and he bounced up and down, _"Ah! The young hero from the Royal Family! And the Princess is with you too!? Oh my! If I had known I would have had my brother….Ah! Sharp! Oh my brothers!"_ Link turned serious, "What's happened? Did Sharp sell his soul again!?" The Poe stopped and looked at him, _"Again!? And how did you know his soul had been tainted?"_

Link winced. He had met two sets of brothers named Flat and Sharp. One set was in a land known as Termina. The Sharp there had sold his soul to the devil and Link had to cleanse him. "Uh...Nothing. Lucky guess? Anyways, what happened?" The Poe began bouncing around again in panic, _"It's awful! They were promised power and new bodies by 'him'! I tried to stop them but I had a spell put on me. Luckily I had studied spells in our attempts to alter time with music and dispelled its' effects. Now they plan to attack the humans at the springs! You must help me hero!"_ Link looked confused, "They? I thought you only had one brother?" The Poe shook his (head?) and said, _"No, you just didn't meet my other brother. His name is __**Rest**__."_ 'Go figure,' Link thought. "Where are they?" Flat pointed his baton down the hall where the flames had gone, _"That way. At the end of the corridor, there is a sound activated door. Only Royal Family members can enter."_ Link nodded and said, "Don't worry, we'll save them," then turning to Sheik, who was poking Malon trying to get her to wake up, he said, "Let's go."

Link walked down the hall between the flames with Sheik behind him and Malon behind Sheik. After a little shaking and a pinch on the arm from Sheik, Malon had finally come to. When they reached the door, Link noticed the familiar symbol of the Royal Family on the ground with a door behind it. The door was sealed shut. "So how do we open it?" Malon asked. Link was pulling out the ocarina when Sheik stopped him, "I can handle this." Sheik reached in his cloak and pulled out a small harp. Link nodded and stepped back and Malon wondered where he hid it this whole time. Sheik strummed Zelda's Lullaby on the harp and the door groaned and lifted open. "Well that's convenient," Malon commented. Inside, noises and whispers could be heard. Malon gulped and Link said, "You can stay here if you want." Malon took a deep breath and grinned, "Are you kidding me? What's the fun in that? Besides, I gotta face my fears someday right?" With that, they all strode through the door.

It was dark. Almost suffocating. When they all stepped inside, the door behind them slammed shut and they heard bars slamming down over it. All they heard was the sound of their own breathing. Then, suddenly, the area lit up with a blinding flash. The room was a large square room with torches in each respective corner. At the far end of the room, there stood two suits of armor, one black and one white. The two Poes appeared above them and cackled, "_Foolish mortals who dare walk the halls of the dead, get comfortable, for this shall be your final resting place for all eternity! Now, watch as we conduct the symphony of death!"_ After they finished speaking, they vanished. The suits of armor began to creak and groan as they stood up, battle axes in hand. "Uh…Now what?" Malon asked as she backed up. Link narrowed his eyes. Iron knuckles….they were enemies that were not to be taken lightly. "Leave them to us!" Sheik declared and shot towards the black one at a blinding speed.

Link taunted the white one causing it to come clanking after him. Link knew just how to deal with an Iron Knuckle. First he had to destroy its outer shell. Glancing at Sheik, he noticed that the young warrior moved like water, sliding in and out of the creature's reach. Each time, he sliced off a part of its armor. Link turned his attention back to his enemy. Iron Knuckles were very powerful, but their armor slowed them down considerably. Link taunted it into swinging at him, which caused the heavy axe to get stuck in the ground. Link used this to deliver powerful blows to the weak points in its armor (funny what you can learn when you fight an enemy more than once). By the time it pulled the axe out of the ground, Link had already broken its shell. Without the cumbersome weight slowing it down, the Iron Knuckle charged at him. Link dove out of the way as it brought down the axe again. This time, Link struck its unprotected core and it fell to the ground. He was about to relax when he heard a loud grunt of pain and turned to see Sheik go flying into the wall.

The Iron Knuckle obviously wasn't satisfied with not seeing his opponent dead and charged at the wall to finish him off. Link dove forward just in time to parry the axe. The force jarred Link and caused his teeth to rattle as he strained against the pressure. Just as the Knuckle was about to deliver the finishing blow, it stopped rigid and stood there. Finally, it dropped the axe to the side with a loud crash and fell to the ground. Behind it, with Sheik's sword, was Malon. She grinned and said, "Not bad for a farm girl huh?" Link laughed, "Not bad at all." Behind him, he could hear a noise coming from the wall. "Ow ow ow ow ow….huh? What happened?" Sheik crawled out from the wall and looked around while holding her shoulder. However, it wasn't Sheik's voice. "Zelda? What happened to Sheik?" She looked at him, then seemed to be distracted for a few seconds. After a while she said, "He says that he reached his limit. He doesn't know why, but the time that he can take over for me is limited."

Link scratched his head and shrugs before hearing, "Uh…wait…what? Wasn't Sheik a…boy?" Malon pointed at Zelda, who was currently dressed as Sheik. "No. Well, kind of…it's a long story. Basically, it's one of my abilities that was passed down from my ancestors," Zelda explained. Malon thought for a minute, tilted her head, and asked, "Cross dressing?" Zelda shook her head furiously, "No! I use magic to alter my voice and appearance! Sheik is an alter ego, sort of." Malon grabbed her head and said, "Uhh, my head hurts…" Just then, two Poes appeared in front of them. _"Well done, mortals. I must say I am impressed you survived our symphony. However, this next one is a Duet!" _Both spirits pulled out batons and in perfect synch, waved them as if they were preforming a song. Ghastly music flooded the room and seemed to suck the life out of it. Literally. Zelda could feel herself dying, her soul drifting away with the song. Malon collapsed to the ground. Zelda tried to call out for her, but she could feel her consciousness slipping away. Soon, she would join the dead.

Then, all of a sudden, a new sound could be heard. It seemed to overpower the ghostly duo's deadly sonata. It was a sort of serene sounding song. All of her worries and fears seemed to melt with the song. It affected the Poes as well. They stopped waving the batons and looked like they were in pain. _"Argh! Stop! This song…it's…what is this!?" _Zelda looked to her left and saw Link calmly playing the Ocarina. He pulled it away from his mouth, but the music kept playing, and said, "This song heals troubled souls. Let its melody cleanse your soul of evil. Listen, to the song of healing." With a last defiant screech, both Poes flew around violently and disappeared. The music faded and Link put away the Ocarina. _"Thank you, hero." _Three Poes faded into existence in front of him and Malon passed out again. _"Your song saved us from a terrible fate. We cannot be more grateful."_ Link smiled and said, "I'm glad I could help." _"We shall continue to protect the Royal Families tomb. I hope we meet again, Link." _Link laughed nervously, "Let's just hope I'm still alive next time we meet." The Poes cackled and disappeared.

Link sighed and smiled to himself, 'Another person helped.' His smile faltered as a thought entered his mind, 'But how many more need saving? Will I ever be able to…' he shook the thought from him, 'No. This is my duty. To protect the people of this land from evil.' Zelda watched him. She could tell something was bothering him, but before she could ask, she heard one of the last things she wanted to hear at the moment, "W-who the heck are you people!?" All three heads, Malon's required more effort as she was currently lying on the floor, looked toward the source of the sound, and stared in shock. Standing in the doorway, was an extremely beefy teen. His skin was darkly tanned and his red hair was slicked up into a pompadour. In front of them, stood, fully clothed this time, Groose. Link was the first to speak, though hesitantly, "Um…How much of that did you see?"

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**Yo, yo, yo AFightingDreamer here! Man, this took FOREVER to write! Seriously, I had like five different ways I wanted to write it and I couldn't decide what to put in or keep out! But I realized that people were waiting for the next chapter (hopefully) and I needed to buckle down and write the stupid thing! Anyways, I got two jobs now and possibly a third but I will continue to write no matter what! Hope you enjoyed reading and be sure to stay tuned for the next installment of...The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Present!**


	14. Uninvited Guest

**James Birdsong: I'm glad you liked the first thirteen chapters and I hope you enjoy this one as well as ones to come.**

**CaitlinElizabeth815: I'm glad you like it! Fear not, there shall be more!**

**Zeldax: I'm very happy you like my story so much and I thank you for your patience. **

**Special note: Please read the bold print at the bottom of this chapter as it contains important information!**

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The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Present

I do not own the Legend of Zelda© or any of its characters. Please support the official release.

Chapter 14: An uninvited guest

Zelda flopped down on her bed and stretched. As good as it was to get out once and a while, nothing beats your own bed. Settling in, her mind wandered to recent events. "I don't get it. I don't get it at all." If you are confused, let us go back about 15 hours…

"_Umm….how much did you hear?" Link asked. Zelda held her breath. What would he do if he found out what Link really was? Groose, in a sarcastic manner, "Gee, I dunno. Somewhere between all of it and ALL OF IT!" Link sighed, 'great job 'hero,' way to keep a low profile.' He looked back to the hulking teen, who was patiently waiting for an answer. "Everything you heard was true." She quickly looked at him, "Link! What are you doing!?" Link glanced back at her, "He heard everything already, lying to him now won't accomplish anything. He's much smarter than people give him credit for." Groose huffed and poked his chest out proudly, "That's right! Hey wait a minute, what's that supposed to mean!?" _

_After a couple questions, an introduction from Fi, and promises to keep quiet, the group exited the tombs. Before she could go far, Groose gently stopped her, "Uh…c-could you hang on a sec…" Zelda stopped and glanced at him curiously, "Yes?" Groose rubbed the back of his head, "uh…listen, about what happened the other day…..I'm really sorry. I heard you scream and…." Zelda watched him. In truth, with all that's happened, she totally forgot about it. "It's alright. I'm glad you tried to help, but next time try to be a little more observant." He laughed sheepishly and nodded, "Yeah…" With that, they continued walking back to the main building. "How do you feel about Link?" Zelda almost fell flat on her face. "W-What!? Why do you ask!?" Groose frowned and scratched his head, "Hmm….well, you always seem to smile when you look at him, not like you smile at everybody else though." Zelda laughed nervously and said, "Y-you're just imagining things!" Groose quietly followed behind, "…..Maybe…"_

That one comment has been gnawing at her mind for quite a while. Does she really smile at Link differently? She groaned and rolled over. They must be imagining things. Slowly, she began to drift off into sleep, but was interrupted by a soft knocking at her door. "Zelda? You awake?" She sat up quickly. 'Think of the devil, and he appears.' Fixing her clothes and hair, she asked him to come in. "Hmm? Were you about to go to sleep?" He asked her. "In a little bit, I'm still trying to figure out what we should do now that two more people know your secret." He sat down and nodded thoughtfully, "It should be fine. Shad realizes what his claims would cause, and Groose, while a little rough, is trustworthy." Zelda cocked an eyebrow, "How do you figure that?" Link just laughed lightly and said, "Instinct," causing Zelda to roll her eyes playfully.

"Right, instinct." Link frowned, "What? You don't believe me?" Deciding it would be fun to tease him for a change she replied, "I'm not saying that. I'm saying that, from what I've seen, you're almost as dense as Groose." Link felt his eye twitch, "How the heck am I dense?" Zelda placed her finger under her chin in mock thought, "Hmm, let's see…you constantly disrupt class even though we said lay low, you have no idea how to read a social atmosphere, you have little regard for your own safety…ah shall I continue?" With every example Link's head dropped lower and lower, "Alright, I get it already. I'll admit I can be 'a little' dense at times." Zelda scoffed, "A little?" Link frowned at her causing her to laugh.

A silence passed between the two. Zelda noticed this and began to fiddle with her hair nervously. "So, Link, this is a really random question…but, do I seem to act different around you than with other people?" Link turned to her with a confused look, "Where'd that come from?" Zelda quickly waved her hands in front of her, "N-nowhere! I uh, was just curious! It was something stupid that Malon said!" Link folded his arms and thought for a moment. "Well, you always seem to be mad at me for some reason. Like when we got of the, what did you call it, oh right bus, I asked you if you were ok and you yelled at me." Zelda thought for a second, 'the bus? Why was I…oh!' That was when she and Malon were having the conversation about her and Link bathing together. Immediately her face turned crimson. "U-uh w-well, y-you see that was….uh…" Oh goddesses, how would she explain that one!? Link tilted his head to the side, patiently waiting for her to finish her sentence. Unfortunately for Zelda, her mind became filled with images of the entire trip. More specifically, when they both saw each other naked. "Hey Zelda? You okay?" Link asked, concerned. Zelda got up and headed for the door, "I just need some air…Wah!" As she made for the door, her foot caught the edge of her bed and she fell.

"Ow ow ow….." Zelda lifted her head to get up and, surprise surprise, she was on top of Link again. "I'm starting to wonder if you're doing that on purpose." Link joked playfully. Zelda could feel her face heat up even more. She prayed that he couldn't feel her heart, because it felt like it was jumping out of her chest. "Zelda?" Link stopped laughing. Her face looked red, did she get sick or something? He placed his hand on her head to check her temperature, it was warm but not feverish. Zelda reached up and gently took hold of his hand. "Hmm?" Link was wondering what was going on, then she looked at him. Really, looked at him. Link was frozen to the spot, entranced. Those eyes, same, yet different. Familiar, and yet alien all at the same time. He began to notice everything around him. Like his senses had been heightened. The way her hair cascaded around him as she was laying on top of him, the way her breath seemed to tickle his nose, and the way her eyes never left his. He also noticed that their faces were getting closer together. 'This isn't proper….we should stop…' His mind kept telling him, but his body wouldn't listen. He just kept getting closer….closer….

BAM!

They both jolted upright at the sound and Zelda scrambled off of him. Link's ears picked up that the noise came from outside. "Stay here." He opened the door and looked around. Nothing. Zelda asked from behind him, "What was that?" _"Just my way of saying hello." _Link turned around eyes wide. He knew that voice! But how is he here!? Zelda turned to her right and saw a black hole in the ground. Something was rising up from it. Link ran and jumped in front of Zelda. "You….How are you here!?" Finally out of the hole, the dark being finally took shape. Zelda almost gasped. Standing there, not three feet from her, was the dark version of Link that she had seen in her dream. He stood there, arms folded with a smirk on his face. His eyes glowed red as they shifted back and forth between the two. "Oh I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt anything." He grinned.

Link grit his teeth, "I thought I finished you when we fought in the water temple." Dark Link shrugged, "True. You did slay me. But you forget, hero, just because you defeat me, doesn't mean you destroy the darkness that is in your soul." Zelda backed up against the wall. This thing…what is it!? Link charged at his shadow but he just passed right through. "Tsk, tsk, tsk." Dark Link wagged his finger at him, "You of all people should know better, Link. Charging at an enemy unarmed? The Hero of the Sky would be ashamed." Link narrowed his eyes. Hero of the Sky? He didn't have much time to think because Dark Link had him by the throat and slammed him against the wall. The shadow leaned in a whispered in his ear, "You can feel it, can't you. It gnaws at your skull. Constantly making you ask the same questions over and over. Why am I doing this again? What is the point? In the end, what do I get out of it?" Link shoved him away, "You're wrong!" Dark Link grinned, "Am I? I may be just a shadow, but I am still you." Link threw a punch, "Shut up!" Dark Link dodged and leapt over to Zelda and she tried to get away but he caught her by the arm, "Ah ah ah….play nice Link. Wouldn't want anything to happen to your precious princess hmm?"

Link clenched his fists. If only he had brought his sword! He had relaxed too much. "Why are you here?" Dark Link smirked and ran his hand down the side of Zelda's face who in turn shivered in disgust, "Why else? A game isn't fun unless there is something on the line, no?" Link's eyes shot open, "You!" He almost rushed forward but stopped as Dark Link pulled a blade from his pocket and held it at her throat. "You might not want to do that, you see, I'm not very good at being gentle. If I'm startled, my hand might just slip." Link growled, "If you harm her I swear I'll…" "You'll what? Kill me? Good luck with that, 'hero'." Dark Link smirked. "Tell you what, I've decided to play a game with you. I'll be waiting at the second temple. So long, Link! Heheheheh…." Link charged forward but by the time he got there, Dark Link and Zelda were gone.

Link punched the wall in front of him, making a good sized hole, in anger. Again. He had failed to protect her again! He heard footsteps running down the hall and Kaepora opened the door, "Link!? What's happened? Where is my daughter!?" Link bowed his head, shaking in anger, "They took her. She's been captured. I was stupid and unarmed." Kaepora let this sink in, "Where is she being taken?" Link took a deep breath to calm himself, "To the second temple. I need to get there quickly." Kaepora nodded, "Indeed. I had just found the location moments ago when an explosion went off. I came as quickly as I could, but it seems I was too late." Link shook his head, "It's my fault. If I had my sword, I could have stopped him, I…." Kaepora put his hand on Link's shoulder, "It's alright, my boy. There was no way of knowing they could get in so easily. Come, I'll show you where the second flame is." Link nodded and followed behind. 'Don't worry Zelda. I'm on my way!'

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**AAAAAARRRRRGGGGH! I need help people of FanFiction! I'm running out of ideas on what to write! This chapter took so long to write and was soo short because i couldn't figure out what to put in it! So I'm issuing a challenge to all of my readers. Send me a list of up to three things you want to see in future chapters. I need inspiration otherwise I won't be able to finish this story! Help me people of FanFiction, you're this story's only hope! (starwars quote ftw!)**


	15. Be Wise 1-3

**Yeah...again with the long wait...and this isn't even a new chapter. Well, I have two jobs now so writing will take a little more time. This time the delay is because I felt I was losing interest in it. I tried to find something that could inspire me to write but nothing helped. But recently, I found the thing that helps me write. unfortunately, it's depression. So, in order for me to write this story and continue, I need to listen to depressing songs or become depressed. Also, I have no idea how beta reader works, but I would appreciate having a beta reader that i could bounce ideas off of. Someone who would be straight with me and tell me that I need to fix this part, or explain this more, etc etc. Well, that's enough rambling, back to work!**

**Shout out to Sparxthehdgehog for convincing me to just combine parts one, two, and three.**

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The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Present

I do not own the Legend of Zelda© or any of its characters, please support the official release.

Chapter 15: Be Wise (part one)

Link sat looking out the window of the metal, horseless carriage, that Zelda had called the 'bus'. As soon as Kaepora gave him the location of Nayru's flame, he almost left immediately. Kaepora had stopped him and convinced him that he would be of no help to Zelda if he showed up exhausted. Link reluctantly agreed and tried to sleep, but it did not come easy for him. When he woke, Kaepora was already getting his arrangements ready for his trip. Link packed his things, including his sword, in the gym bag that Kaepora had given him. Fi had apologized constantly for not sensing Dark Link's presence. Link had waved it off and told her it wasn't her fault. Now here he was, racing towards the second temple where he prayed to all the goddesses that she was safe. A voice brought Link out of his thoughts, "Next stop! Lake Hylia!" Link grabbed his bag and anxiously waited. He would not fail this time. He couldn't.

Zelda groaned. Her head ached, her body was sore, and her throat burned. She looked around the large room she was in. There were some pillars in the middle of what looked like an empty pool. Spikes surrounded the walls and there was only a single door that was chained tight. There was also someone else in the room. Dark Link watched her with a bored expression, "Geez, you're not very fun you know that?" Zelda glared daggers at him, hoping that her looks could kill. He just snorted, "Ooohhh….I'm really scared now." He made his way over to her and grinned, "You really should be more cooperative." Zelda just kept glaring at him. Dark Link sighed heavily and turned around with his hands behind his head, "Man this is boring. Link had better get here soon, I need some entertainment." Zelda struggled against the bonds that kept her secured, "Be careful what you wish for, you don't stand a chance against Link!" Dark Link glanced over his shoulder at her. His eyes narrowed, then he grinned, "Maybe back then. But this time, I made sure I was prepared."

Link stepped off the bus and checked his surroundings. There was a small, covered, bench in front of him that went next to a dirt road. A sign on the corner said: Lake Hylia 2.0 Miles. It pointed down the dirt road towards a thin tree line. Link immediately started down the road at a full tilt. There was no wasting time now. He had to get there, defeat Dark Link, and save Zelda. As he passed the tree line, the scene made him stop in his tracks. The lake, looked exactly as it did, a thousand years ago. There were a few exceptions, however. The shack where he had gone fishing during his days off was gone and replaced with a house. The Lakeside Laboratory had been changed into a shop with a pier not too far from it. The bridges connecting the raised islands were gone but the island in the middle that sat on the entrance to the water temple still remained. Considering it was still early in the morning, no one was here yet. Link quickly pulled out his Zora's tunic and iron boots and headed for the water.

It didn't take long for his head to pop up out of the water at the entrance to the old water temple. Link swam to the edge of the pool at the entrance and climbed out. Looking around he was hit with a sense of dread. This temple, out of them all, had given him the most headaches. Just like the sage who guarded it. He smiled bitterly at the memory. As much of a handful (literally) she was Ruto had helped him along his journey more than once. If anything, she was one of his closest friends. Upon closer examination, there was something different about it. For starters, there was no water. Ironic huh? Secondly, the central pillar was gone. It was replaced by a large clear surface with a single door in front of him. He stepped forward and grasped the handle. Turning and opening it he felt a violent force drag him inside. The next thing he knew, he was falling. The door slammed shut behind him as he fell. Down, down, down, into a sea of darkness.

Groose sat at his desk, tapping his pen nervously against his books. He was anxious for some reason. Never mind the fact that neither Zelda nor Link had shown up for class, he just felt it in the pit of his stomach. Something was wrong. "Hey teach? I ain't feelin' so well. I think I need to go home." Shad locked eyes with him and he sighed, "I know my class isn't the greatest in the world or the most entertaining, but that doesn't mean you can skip it because you feel like it Mr. Groose." Groose decided to take it up a notch. "Uh oh…I think I'm gonna….Urk!" He clamped his hand over his mouth and made gaging sounds. The whole class moved away from him and Shad quickly stood up, "Groose! Ugh…just…go to the bathroom, then go home!" Groose nodded weakly and stumbled to the door, after opening it, and making a few more gaging noises just to be safe, he took off down the hallway. Instead of going to the bathroom, however, he ran straight for the front door and raced towards Zelda's house. When he reached the front door, he found Kaepora standing in the doorway looking off towards the left, his brows frowned in worry.

Groose, breathless, asked loudly, "Where are Link and Zelda!" Kaepora looked down at him, shocked since he had been spacing out, and replied, "Ah…they are…not feeling well at the moment…a little rest and they should be fine…" Groose stood up straight and sucked in a breath, "I know about Link, sir. He told me himself. I need to know where they are. I can't explain why, but I can feel like something is wrong." Kaepora studied him a moment. If Link had revealed this to him, he must have considered him trustworthy. "Do not worry, Link will be alright. He'll be alright…" He seemed more like he was reassuring himself more so than Groose. "That's what I'm trying to tell you! I think something is wrong and they need help!" Kaepora sighed and furrowed his eyebrows. "Lake Hylia. Zelda was kidnapped and taken there." Groose's eyes widened in disbelief, then narrowed in anger. "They done messed with the wrong Groose." With that, he took off down the road towards the nearest bus station.

Zelda struggled tirelessly against her binds, but to no avail. Dark Link watched from the other side, slightly amused. "Sheesh, you never give up do ya princess?" Zelda glared at him, "Don't call me 'princess.' My name is Zelda." Dark Link snorted and replied, "Whatever, princess or not you carry the Triforce of Wisdom, so you are the reincarnation of the Princess of Destiny. Her spirit sleeps within you." "So what are you getting at? Why not just take me to your master right now?" Dark Link grinned and vanished. He reappeared in front of her, smirking, "The Hero needs an incentive to win, doesn't he? I intend to crush that so-called "unbreakable spirit" and destroy him with my own hands!" Zelda jerked against her restraints, trying to get to him, "You're fighting a losing battle! Link won't go down!" Dark Link simply laughed at her, "Ahahahaha! That's hilarious! You stupid princess, I "AM" Link! His spirit is already cracking, wearing down with each incarnation. All his battles, his adventures, his 'regret' all chipping away at his soul. He will fall. And I will be there when it happens, to deliver the final blow!" Zelda glared at him again the stopped. She saw something in Dark Link's eyes. Almost as if…

"What are you really after?" Dark Link stopped talking and eyed her curiously, "What do you mean, 'what am I really after?' I already told you…" Zelda interrupted, "If what you say is true, and you 'are' Link, why are you trying to destroy him?" Dark Link watched her carefully. He seemed unsure of her, cautious. Looks like she hit a soft spot. Dark Link shifted his eyes away, then back to her. "I…he…!" His ears perked up and he smiled devilishly, "He's here!" Dark Link walked towards the entrance and was about to step through when Zelda called out to him, "Are you really sure this is what 'you' want? Or what someone else wants." Dark Link froze. He slowly turned back around, eyes full of pure malice, "You know nothing!" And with that, he disappeared again, and Zelda was left alone.

Link's eyes slowly opened. He experimented moving his hands, then moving his arms, legs, and feet to make sure they all still worked. Standing up, he looked around him. The room was dark save for a single spot of light that shone down on him. 'Magic.' Link thought. Suddenly, a loud voice echoed throughout the area, "Well, well, well Link. Looks like you finally decided to show up!" That voice! It was Dark Link! "What have you done with Zelda!?" He heard Dark Link chuckle, "Don't worry, she's safe….for now…you might even get to see her one last time. If you survive this, that is…" Link glanced around as the area began to change and shift. "Well, Hero, as I said before, I want to play a little game. I call this one, survival. As you can tell, this space is designed to contain people. At least until a certain prerequisite is met." Link looked around and asked, "What kind of prerequisite?" A laugh was heard, "Defeat your opponent."

Suddenly he was in a large room with stone pillars connecting the floor and ceiling. In the center, stood a man in a red cape. As before Link could ask, he heard Dark Link speak, "Well, Mr. Copycat! Meet the original…" He had a green hat and tunic that looked eerily similar to Link's. In his right hand, he held a Hylian Shield. In his left, he was holding….The Master Sword!? The man slowly turned around, letting the cloak fall from his shoulders. Link's breath hitched in his throat. The man in front of him, looked exactly like Link! He looked to be about twenty to twenty-five years old, but other than that, he was almost like a mirror image. "W-who are you!?" The man just looked at him and frowned. Link felt something prick his heart. It was like the feeling you get when you let your father down. "Let the bloodshed commence!" The man sighed and readied his combat stance. Then, without warning, he charged at Link.

Chapter 16: Be wise part 2

High above the clouds, hidden to the human eye, sat a temple-like complex. The walls were made of polished marble, each stone hand crafted and perfectly placed. The gates were made of pure jasper and the floors were made of pure gold. So pure, in fact, that it was transparent. Inside, an assortment of highly decorated and lavish rooms were littered about the temple. In one such room, the walls gave off a faint, green glow. Trees and flowers grew inside and forest spirits danced about playfully. A young woman was sitting inside looking out the only window in the room with concern on her face. Her green hair went a little past her shoulders, resting on her back. She wore a green silk dress that cut off at her shoulders and fell past her knees. Her blazing green eyes that usually held a slightly mischievous light were now murky and clouded with doubt and regret. Seeing their matriarch so distressed, the spirits stopped playing and floated over to her, some resting on her arm. She smiled gently lifted a few up on her fingers, "Thank you….I am merely worried about the young hero. I fear his uncertainty is mostly my doing. My sisters and I have asked so much of him…"

The young woman sadly glanced back out the window. 'It is not your doing Farore. We all know who is to blame here.' A gentle voice that spoke of immeasurable knowledge softly chided, 'Since 'that' day it was decided that those three would always meet. It is something we have to accept. A dying man's curse is more powerful than any magic.' In the next instant, Farore was sitting in a room with two other, equally beautiful women. Another voice, filled with power, scoffed, 'Man? That beast was no man. He was a demon, Nayru.' Nayru, the goddess of wisdom. Her soft blue hair stopped midway down her back and fell along pale, flawless skin. She wore a sleeveless, blue silk dress that touched the floor. She nodded, 'Indeed he was. But surely you have felt his descendant's intentions, Din. The wielder of the Triforce of power intends to end that curse.' Din, the goddess of power. Her fiery red hair draped along her back, almost reaching her feet. Her skin was evenly tanned and glowed in the soft light of the room. She wore a red silk shirt that overlapped a white undershirt, and loose pants.

Din scoffed again, 'He believes he can right his wrongs by simply wishing them away?' Farore smiled softly, 'Sometimes a wish is stronger than any sword or magic spell.' Din fell silent, then, 'I thought Nayru was the one with all the wisdom?' All three goddesses laughed, the sound was like gentle music cascading all around and washing over everything. Nayru sighed, 'Still, the young hero….perhaps we made a mistake when we chose the three wielders.' Din sighed, 'We chose the three people who most believed in our three forces. The Triforce does not judge based on good or evil, we all know this...' 'Listen to yourselves! You speak as though he has already fallen!' All three goddesses were slightly taken aback at the chiding tone of their youngest sister, 'Have more faith in him. An 'unbreakable spirit' is more than just petty words. My 'hero' just needs to remind him of that.' Silence.

Then, all of the sisters laughed again, 'You're right. How could we have lost hope so quickly?' Farore giggled, 'Yeah, that kid is definitely strong enough,' Din smirked. 'Indeed, he will be fine. Especially if 'he' is the one to rekindle his soul. You are right, we should not have doubted your chosen ones, Hylia.' Hylia, goddess of the sky and protector of the earth. Her long blonde hair shined like the sunlight with two bundles falling on either side of her face. She wore a simple white dress that almost looked too big for her. Most of all, she looked a lot like Zelda. 'Have faith, my sisters. During my time as a human, I learned that the most endearing quality of a human being, is the strength of his determination when someone he loves is in danger.'

Swords clashed, metal ringing out against metal. A dull thud sounded as a body hit a wall, then hit the ground. Link gasped as the wind was knocked out of him. In front of him, the older looking version of him sighed and shook his head, "This is my descendent? What a pitiful excuse for a hero." Link staggered to his feet and raised his shield in front of him, charging forward. "HYAAAAA!" The older hero sidestepped quickly and rammed his shield into Link's side, knocking him to the floor. "How pathetic….perhaps Hylia made a mistake in allowing you to be the hero. Giving up after only three incarnations? Pathetic." Link slowly got to his feet, "Who…..*heavy breathing*….said anything…..about giving up…" The older version frowned, "Simply standing up when you are knocked down is not courage. Being able to strike down an enemy, is not courage. Courage, is being able to fight for and, if need be, die for someone or something that you love without hesitation or doubt. 'That' is true courage, and that is what you are sorely lacking."

Link charged forward and tried a feint while using the momentum to throw his attacker off balance. Without a second thought, he was easily knocked aside. "You are full of fear and doubt about the path that has been laid out before you. Your blade, stance, and soul reek of it." Link swung his sword and yelled, "You don't know what you're talking about!" The older Link deflected his blade to the side and kneed him in the gut. Link doubled over and gasped for breath. "I don't? If that were true, you wouldn't be here right now, would you?" Link coughed and struggled, trying to concentrate on the battle, but his mind was running wild. _'What's the point?' 'Why even stand back up?' 'Useless.' 'Idiot. You'll never be able to protect everyone.' 'You will fail eventually.' 'What is so important to you that drives you to keep fighting?' _Link stopped. As soon as that last thought entered his mind, he saw Zelda's face. The older Link also stopped for a second, his eyes were unreadable. _'Zelda? Why….?' _A memory resurfaced in his mind. He had just defeated the King of Evil and sealed him away. Zelda was about to send him back in time, but before she did, hadn't he promised her something? _'For Hyrule, and for Princess Zelda….I, will fight.'_ Link drove his shield against his attacker, _'That's right, I decided then, that I would protect Zelda.' _Memories of what he and the present Zelda had done flashed through his mind. _'My Zelda knew her duty was to the people of Hyrule, but now, it seems the goddesses had decided to give us another chance.' _ Link got into a stance, _'This time, I will protect you, Zelda. Always.' _The older Link backed away, he seemed to be relieved, "It looks like you are beginning to realize what you lack. Now, come 'hero' defeat me, and save her.

Dark Link was frowning. On his end, Link was unconscious at the entrance to the water temple. Dark Link had used his black magic to cause a sort of delusion in Link's mind. Dark Link frowned even deeper when he noticed Link's Triforce mark beginning to shine. _'What is happening? This doesn't seem right…' _Pain shot through Dark Link's head. He groaned and clutched at his hair, "Ugh! You again…?! Butt out…I won't…let you…Argh!" _'Won't let me what? You are powerless to stop me, Dark. This body is mine. You would not exist if it weren't for me. Call it fate if you will. I shall once again have the pleasure of seeing that meddlesome brats face twisted in pain and agony as he deafens himself with his own screams!' _Dark Link sank to the floor grabbing at his head in pain, "No! This isn't…..I….am….RAAAAAAAGH!" Dark Link's yell echoed around the chamber. Then, it was deathly quiet. Dark Link slowly stood to his feet. A sadistic grin was plastered to his face. "Thank you, Dark Link, for being so cooperative. Rest assured, I will destroy Link, and have my revenge for the humiliation that he caused myself and my master to suffer!"

Zelda heard a loud scream from outside. It sounded like Link's, but she couldn't be sure. Struggling against her bonds again, she found that she couldn't undo them. "Sheik? Do you think you could undo them?" A male voice answered, 'No. Something is preventing me from helping you. Another force inside of you is blocking me out.' "Another force?" Silence. "Hey Shiek!? Answer me!" 'It seems, she wishes to speak to you.' Zelda stopped struggling, "Huh? She? Who are you talking about?" In that instant, Zelda felt her vision blur. She sagged against the wall and blacked out.

She felt weightless. It was becoming a familiar sensation. Just floating around in the darkness of unconsciousness. However, this felt a bit….different. Zelda felt ground beneath her. She cautiously took a step forward, then another. "Where…am I?" She asked aloud. The sound echoed all around her. She heard footsteps and turned towards the direction they were coming from. "Who…Who's there!?" 'Clack Clack clack clack.' It sounded like high heels on a marble floor as it got louder and closer. Zelda was beginning to get scared now. But a soft, gentle voice called out to her, and she froze. Her eyes were wide as the figure stepped into her line of vision, the darkness fleeing the light that was beginning to enter the area. 'That voice! It can't be….ME!?' Standing in front of her, was none other than herself. Although, there were a few major differences. This Zelda had blonde hair and was dressed in what looked like very expensive clothes. In fact, they looked just like what a princess's would look like. She wore a long white dress that had pink and purple patterns on it. In the center, on a blue background, was the symbol of the royal family. On her head was a beautiful golden crown that had a sapphire stone set in the center. She looked kind but radiated a sort of regal beauty that made Zelda herself almost kneel.

"Hello, Zelda." The princess spoke softly and smiled. She froze. "Uh…um…w-what…I…?" The princess laughed softly, the musical sound echoing off the walls and seemed to calm Zelda's nerves down. "Sorry if I startled you. But I wanted to speak with you. Do you mind?" Zelda blinked a few times, "Uh…uh? Oh! Uh yeah, I guess…?" The princess smiled again and motioned for Zelda to follow. Zelda did so without a second thought. "Excuse me…umm….me…where…exactly are we?" The princess kept walking but answered, "Right now, I'm buried somewhere in the royal family tomb at the ruins of Kakariko Graveyard. You are currently unconscious in the water temple." "That's…not what I meant…" The princess smiled again, "I know. I was trying to lighten the mood. I'm not very good at jokes." Zelda sweatdropped. "To answer your question, we are in your mind. More appropriately, we are in a dreamlike state. I am only here metaphysically." Zelda nodded her head. She figured that much. "So what was it you wanted to talk to me about, wait, more importantly, which 'me' are you?" The princess smiled but this time it was sad. "I am Princess Zelda. The Link you know now is the one I knew then." Zelda's mouth opened and then shut just as quickly. This was Princess Zelda! The one Link…

Zelda's thought were interrupted by a soft chuckle, "I see. He told you everything did he?" Zelda shook her head, "Not everything. He's told me bits and pieces. The rest I saw in dreams." Princess Zelda nodded and sighed, "Yes. He always seemed to beat around the bush when it comes to himself and other 'personal' matters…" Zelda sighed as well, "So he's always been like that? How did you put up with him?" The princess laughed, "It took some work. Almost every day he'd be running about fixing shops, retrieving items, taking care of monsters, and helping out the citizens of Hyrule. He would always return to the castle covered in sweat, dirt, and occasionally blood. But no matter what, he always tried to help out before taking care of himself." Zelda nodded sympathetically, "Yeah, I noticed. Speaking of which, what was he like when he wasn't all…hero-y?" Princess Zelda grinned, "He was very playful. A little mischievous, and he could eat like a horse." Zelda sighed, 'well, that part about him hasn't changed.' A silence passed between them.

Zelda looked over at the princess version of herself. She was smiling but Zelda noticed it wasn't a warm smile like the one's she had seen earlier. It was almost the same kind that Link had when he talked about his past. "Umm…Princess?" Said person turned to her, "Just call me Zelda." Zelda smiled weakly, "That would make it a little confusing. I'm already talking to myself." Princess Zelda laughed again, "You are quite right." Zelda steeled her nerves for her next question. "What exactly was your relationship with Link?" The Princess stopped and was silent. Zelda wondered if it was the same as when she had asked Link. Suddenly, the Princess started giggling. "H-huh? Wait…Why are you laughing!? I was being serious!" Calming down a little, the Princess spoke, "Haha, forgive me, I just had a thought." A few more giggles, "It seems he always manages to win me over, no matter what time." Zelda's face burned, "Wha-! I don't…He's not…I!" She was waved off by Princess Zelda, "Oh stop that. I'm you remember? I see what you see. It seems over the generations I still haven't been able to overcome my inability to accept my own feelings. Regardless, I did love him, but my duty was to my people. Link and I understood this. Even so, that did not make it easier to accept…" Zelda protested, "But why? Why didn't you both fight for it!?"

The Princess stood silent again. Then she smiled. Almost motherly, "I guess I have made some progress…Don't worry about me. I am a part of you. Just as Link's past lives are a part of him. My time is done, so I must ask that you take care of him. Do not make the same mistake I did." The Princess began to fade. "Ah! Wait! I…" She was silenced by the Princess's hand, "Zelda, I was burdened with the task of ruling over a country. You do not have the same fate as I. Live happily, after this is over. Pass that on to Link as well please?" Zelda opened her mouth to protest, but silently nodded instead. "Good…now I can go without worry…thank you, Zelda. Live well." And with that she was gone.

Chapter 17: Be Wise Part 3

Swords clashed and parted as a flurry of sparks rained down from each blow. Link dodged to the right, narrowly avoiding a deadly slice and threw his leg out to try and trip the older hero. Leaping away, the older hero raised up his sword and a blue light began to flood into it. Link raised his shield just in time to block the magic attack. 'What was that!? Could the Master Sword always do that?' Deciding to test that theory, Link created some distance and raised his sword skyward. Seeing what Link was trying to do his older version backed off a bit and watched, slightly amused. A blue light, not as bright as the one his attacker used, flooded into his sword. Link charged forward keeping the blade behind him. The older hero readied his stance and prepared to block. Instead of swinging his sword, he drove forward with his shield and rammed into the hero, throwing him off balance for a second. That was all Link needed. Link unleashed the energy stored in his blade with a deadly spin attack sending a large spiral of energy into the older hero. "GUAH!?" 'Crash!' The hero of the sky was sent flying into one of the remaining stone pillars, causing a cloud of dust to cover the area.

"Cough…Cough….not bad…seems like you're ready now." Link watched as the ancient hero stood slowly, his form fading. "That attack just now…it's called the Skyward Strike. Your blade becomes charged with pure energy when you raise it skyward. It should be helpful to you." Just before he completely disappeared, he said, "Never forget what it is you fight for, and never regret it, and your spirit will never be broken." As he vanished, the area they had been fighting in began to vanish as well. "Don't worry. I won't forget. Ever." Everything turned white.

'_Oooooiiii! Yo! Wake up!' _'What? Who….?' Link turned around and around looking for the source of the sound. 'That voice? Could it be…?...!' Link awoke with a painful start as he noticed a fist retract from his stomach. "Cough, cough! W-what….Cough, What the heck was that for!?" Link yelled at the person who stood next to him, frowning with distaste. "Eh? I came all this way to help you get Zelda back, and what do I find? You nappin' on the floor!" It did look like that didn't it? "So, where's Zelda?" Link stood up and staggered a bit before answering, "Dark Link must have her up ahead. I've been through this temple before, so the doors should still be unlocked." That's what he had hoped, but lady luck did not seem to smile on him today.

Link wanted to tear out his hair in frustration. Dark Link had relocked all of the doors and most likely, hid the keys in different places. Groose folded his arms and cocked an eyebrow, "So, what do we do now?" Link pinched the bridge of his nose in thought and sighed, "We look around." Every passing minute, Link's temper got worse and worse. The keys were nowhere to be found! He checked and rechecked every single floor, but to no avail. Slamming his fist against a wall, which not only caused an unnecessary amount of pain but did very little to appease his temper. He didn't have time to be messing around like this. Dark Link had not appeared since he woke up. That meant he was either watching him from somewhere, or with Zelda. Neither option made him feel any better.

"Hmm? Oi, what's that?" Link turned to look at Groose who was currently staring at Link's fist. Link pulled his hand away from the wall and saw that he had cracked it. "Woah…I knew you were strong, being a fighter and all, but still that's just ridiculous!" Link knew better. While Link could admittedly say he was stronger than an average human, what with his knowledge of magic and his training as a knight, not to mention the fact that a few times in his life he fought huge monsters it would have taken a lot more force for Link to break a solid rock wall. This meant either one of two things. One, Link had somehow absorbed the power given to him by the golden gauntlets and goron bracelet, or two, the wall wasn't as solid as he initially thought. Link inspected the wall closely. It wasn't natural rock. It was almost like some kind of mortar. "Fi. What do you make of this?" Upon being called, Fi's form appeared next to him and answered. "Master, my calculations indicate a 93% chance that this wall was made at the same time as this temple. It is possible that this temple was not only for holding the sage of water, but also for concealing something." Link frowned. Building a temple to hide something always spelled trouble, especially when monsters were lurking in the upper levels for almost seven years. No telling what kind of monsters had gathered in this new section Link and Groose had discovered, considering Link had been asleep for nearly a thousand years.

"Fi, can you sense anything about what is beyond this wall?" Fi was silent for a moment, then answered, "Master, due to the indoor nature of this area, and the multitude of monster signatures emanating from above and below us, I cannot accurately sense what lies beyond this section of wall." Link sighed, he had suspected as much. "Do you think there might be a way to bypass the door where Zelda is?" Groose spoke up. Link crossed his arms and thought. It is possible that there may be a hidden entrance to that room, if what he had stumbled on was indeed a hidden section of the water temple. Then again, he was always curious about why the temples where in the locations they were in. Any other spot would have been just fine in his opinion. "Honestly, I can't say for sure. But, since we have no other option, we should try and explore this and see where it goes." Groose seemed unsure but after a while nodded, tapped his muscles, and grinned, "Alright! Let's break this wall down, beat up Nega-Link, and rescue Zelda!" Link deadpanned at the Nega-Link comment but nonetheless began to tear down the section of wall.

Zelda could tell something was up with Dark Link as soon as he entered the room. His smirk was more….sadistic. His eyes watched her struggle with the bindings with a sort of perverse interest, like he enjoyed seeing others in pain. Overall, it definitely was not the same Dark Link she had been talking to a while ago. She saw something else in his eyes. Whether it was because of the Triforce or not is debatable. She saw something struggling. Dark Link regarded her with a blank expression as she stopped fighting to look at him. "Hmm…giving up already? Well, it's not like your presence here matters either way." Zelda scoffed, "Then why not let me go? Shake things up a bit?" Dark Link raised an eyebrow, "Because I'm not stupid." Zelda scoffed again, "Could have fooled me." Dark Link threw his head back and laughed, "Ahahaha! You are way more entertaining than your predecessor was. Not nearly as much fire in her." Zelda struggled again, "Who are you?" Dark Link stopped laughing and watched her with a calm expression. "Figured it out already have you? Actually, I am in fact Dark Link. But at the same time, I am not. We share the same body, but I am myself, and he is himself." Zelda glared at him, "That's not what I mean." Dark Link shrugged, "It does not matter. It has been so long I have forgotten my own name." His eyes glowed red and his body began to shake, "All I remember, is my hatred for the hero who slew me and my master. I will break him. Slowly, and painfully. I will make him beg for his death. And before I finally fulfill his last wish, I will make him watch as I destroy everything he finds important to him," stepping close to her he ran his hand along her cheek, "starting with you."

Hylia was inside her temple, softly strumming her harp and humming her favorite song. A light shone in her room and she gently laid the harp down, watching as the light faded. When it completely died down, a man was standing before her. Her eyes roamed his features and she suppressed a giggle, "You look terrible." The figure grunted and rubbed his shoulder, "He got in a few lucky hits. He also easily mastered the Skyward Strike after watching me use it once." He grumbled the last part, although good naturedly. Unable to contain herself, Hylia chuckled, "My, my, is that jealousy I hear?" Smirking to himself, he crossed the distance between them and sat next to the goddess, "More of a fatherly pride of sorts." She rolled her eyes and leaned her head on his shoulder. "He is progressing quite nicely isn't he?" The older hero wrapped his arm around her and nodded, "He has a while to go before he becomes a full man, but he's getting there. A little too stuck on his 'duty' but I think I sorted him out." His features grew hard, "Hylia, did you feel it, too?" Narrowing her eyes she replied, "Yes. I thought that when he was slain in the water temple, that would be the end of it, but that one has a tenacity that almost surpasses his creator."

The hero frowned, "It could be a result of Demise's curse." Hylia furrowed her brows in thought. When she herself was still human, she and her hero battled the Demon King, Demise, each in their own way. Demise had a follower that called himself the Demon Lord. During the final battle, Demise transformed him into a sword to fight the hero with. The battle had raged on, neither side scoring a solid hit. The hero had begun to grow weary and his movements became sluggish. Sensing this, Demise was able to land a blow against the hero. However, it was not a mortal wound. The hero had been able to deflect the blade slightly with his own, but the evil energy inside the sword seeped into the wound. This and possibly the Demon King's dying curse, allowed the energy to become a consciousness that resembled the evil blade. "I'm sure he can handle it." The hero replied calmly, breaking the goddess from her thoughts. She smiled and leaned further into him, "Indeed."

Link walked slowly through the passageway that led him deeper into the temple. Groose followed close behind holding the crossbow. Their footsteps echoed into a large cavern. Link decided that since Groose didn't have a sword, he needed something to protect himself with. With his large build, he would be able to reload fairly quickly.

-A few minutes ago-

Link cleared away the last of the wall and placed the debris aside as Groose moved a stone out of their way. Looking inside the hallway they had discovered, they saw that it led down towards some water. Groose whistled, the sound echoing off the walls, "How did no one ever notice something like this?" Link shrugged and replied, "You can't find something if you don't know what to look for. Speaking of which, how did you even get in here? I had to use iron boots and a special tunic." Link watched him as they began to walk down towards the water. Groose put his hands behind his head, "Well, I asked a guy to lend me a boat and I rowed out to the island. After I reached that, I just followed Zelda's father's directions and swam to the bottom. I was pretty exhausted when I finally made it inside. I thought I was gonna die!" Groose chuckled nervously as he remembered. Link was thoroughly surprised and impressed. The distance between the surface and the temple entrance had to have been at least three to four and a half meters. "Hey Groose." The teen looked over his shoulder, "Yeah? Woah!" Turning around quickly, he caught what looked to be like a crossbow, "Ha…wah!?" Link walked past him and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Just figured I could trust you to watch my back." Groose looked at him and back to the crossbow before smirking, "You better believe it." And they continued on, down towards the depths of the water temple.

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**Ok, I know I didn't reply to reviews on this one but that's because it is 3 chapters combined. It's not really a new chapter. This also means that my replies on the other three chapters were deleted as well. Sorry about that =/**


	16. A Hero's curse! End of the Be Wise Arc!

**Dear GOD! This chapter is killing me! I was trying to tie in all the elements i've written in previous chapters while maintaining originality and it is doing murder to my brain! Plus I spent about two weeks trying to figure out an original item Link would find in this temple. Then another five days trying to decide on a name! T.T anyways, I suck as a writer, making you all wait this long for another chapter. I have no excuse. This isn't even a full chapter, it's just a preview. This chapter, when it is complete, will cover the rest of the temple, the boss battle, and some character development between Link and Zelda. As well as a few, to some people at least, suprises! Stay tuned!**

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The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Present

I do not own the Legend of Zelda© or any of its characters, please support the official release.

Chapter 18: A hero's curse

"Oi! Heads up, Link!" Groose yelled over his shoulder as he turned to fire a bolt into their attackers. Link threw his weight against the skeletal warrior he was currently locked in a sword struggle with and rolled to the side as the arrow whizzed past him. The creature stumbled back and uttered a choked cry before crumbling into a pile of bones and metal. 'Well', Link thought, 'that's one down, and about….a lot to go.' Groose reloaded his crossbow and silently cursed as he realized it was his last one. Link wiped the sweat and blood from his brow and tried to ready himself for the next attack. Why in Naryu's name had he decided to go in this room!?

~A few minutes earlier~

Link and Groose carefully picked their way down path that led them further and further into the depths of the water temple. As Groose kept watch for anything behind them, he almost plowed into Link who had stopped moving. "Woah! Hey Link why don't you warn someone before you decide to…..decide….to…." His words died in his mouth as he noticed Link staring at something. "Oi! Link what are you….." Groose couldn't believe his eyes. In front of them both, broken and battered, was a huge ship! Most of it was in pieces. Like something had torn it apart. Something mean, and apparently, very large. Groose whistled low in awe, "Wow, that thing is really impressive, how did it survive all these years down here?" Link was paying little attention to Groose as he watched the ship. His head began to throb as memories flooded his mind. A large octopus looking monster with tentacles for hair was smashing the ship while Link fought it. Weird creatures that looked like they were made of metal were thanking him. The pain subsided as the memory faded. Coming back to reality, Link scanned the area around the ship. A path led to the side but, whether due to age or a large monster, a huge gap spanned either side. Link looked for an area that his hook shot might attach to, but he saw nothing, save a pillar in the middle of the path on the other side. Turning back to the ship, he motioned for Groose to follow him. "Let's go inside. There might be a clue."

It didn't seem possible, but the inside of the old ship looked way better than the outside. That put Link even more on edge than he already was. Groose followed close behind him as they made their way down a few sets of halls. "Somehow, this doesn't feel right. I mean, shouldn't this old ship be more…..old?" Link peeked around the corner while Groose voiced his suspicions, "It seems that way huh? Especially with the outside being the way it is. I wonder what is keeping it from deteriorating." Link passed by a very large door when he felt another throb in his head. Upon taking a closer look, he noticed thick chains and a huge lock lying nearby. "Woah. That's some serious lock right there. Whatever used to be in there, was obviously bad news."

Link nodded in agreement. Something in his gut told him that he should stay away from that room, almost like a sixth sense. There was something in there that didn't want to be disturbed, something that shouldn't be disturbed. He was shaken back to his senses when he heard the door begin to creak open. Link hissed at Groose and grabbed his arm, yanking it away from the door, "What are you doing!? You don't even know what's on the other side!" Groose scratched his head and replied, "Yeah, I know. I'm getting this really bad feeling just being near the door. But I figure that the worse I feel, the closer we are to finding the one responsible." Link marveled at Groose's courage, and stepped back, allowing him to finish opening the door.

Inside, there was what looked like an engine room. The walls, floor, and ceiling was lined with cables, wires, and pistons. There was a large column in the middle of the room that rose through the ceiling and sunk through the floor. Behind it, there was a soft blue glow that filled the room. Groose whistled as he stood in the doorway, "That's some impressive machinery. This stuff would make aircraft carriers look like row boats." Link tilted his head at him, "You know about machines?" Groose nodded his head, "Yeah, my dad runs a repair shop and after tinkering around a bit, I found out that I had a knack for machines and engines." As he was speaking Groose stepped inside, not noticing a thin, almost invisible trip wire. Link saw it at the last second, and before he could say anything, the wire snapped. Gears started to squeak and grind as some of the machines roared to life. Link heard a loud clang above him and, already knowing what would happen next, dove inside before the door could slam shut on top of him. "What happened!? What's going on!?" Groose roared, turning this way and that. Just then, six pairs of red eyes gleamed in the darkness. Chattering filled the room as six skeletal warriors stepped out of the gloom. Three of them were regular Stalfos, the other three….looked bigger, meaner, and had four arms, instead of two. "Uh oh. These guys don't look too friendly!" Link drew his sword and readied his stance. Groose pulled the crossbow out and loaded a bolt. The skeletal warriors made horrible clacking sounds with their dried up teeth that resembled laughing. Link grit his teeth and charged into the battle.

~Present time~

"It's like these guys never end!" Groose cursed under his breath as two more stalfos stood where their other companion had fallen. Link ground his teeth in frustration. As soon as the battle had begun, it was like the engine room sprung to life. Two bronze looking tubes that were on both sides of the room began to creak and stalfos just kept falling out of them. Link took in the situation and tried to form a plan. Getting out wasn't an option, as the door was now barred shut. That usually meant that Link was supposed to defeat all the enemies in the room, but it looked like that wasn't gonna happen anytime soon. Link watched as the stalfos and their four-armed buddies chattered and slapped their shields, taunting him. It was then that he noticed one of the four-armed stalfos was standing close to the source of the blue light that was surrounding the room. 'Hmm? What are you up to…?' Link shifted around to get a better look at the light.

In the center, locked in a small cage was a blue stone, about the size of a baby's fist. "What the….?" Link felt another dull throb in his head, 'Timeshift stones?' Link watched as the memory played out in front of him. He was standing in front of a cage in the middle of the desert. A cage next to that one was open and had one of those weird metal beings inside it. But it looked old and degraded, like it hadn't moved in centuries. Two pairs of remains were scattered nearby. Link pulled a bomb from his bomb bag and chucked it on top of the cage. There was a hole at the top and the bomb dropped through it before exploding around the stone. There was a hum and a blue light expanded outward, transforming the sand into grass, the bars looked like they had just been polished. Another hum was heard and the metal being began to talk and ask for help as the two piles of remains became solid flesh and blood beings. The memory ended and Link was brought back to reality by something flying past him.

It was small, blue, and was very quick. It sped over and began to distract the stalfos standing guard over the stone. The blue ball of light turned yellow as it flew around its head, through its ribcage, and back out of its chest. "What the heck is that!?" Groose yelled, clearly surprised and cautious about this new creature. 'Is….is that…..?' Link shook his head, he'd deal with that in a second, "Groose! Shoot that stone in the center of the light!" Groose glanced at him with a confused look, but shrugged and fired his last bolt at the cage. It struck the stone hard but didn't shatter it. A low hum filled the room as the light dimmed and receded. As soon as it did, the stalfos began to crumble into dust, their armor and weapons doing the same. The engine room was quiet now.

The ball of light floated around and slowly made its way over to Link. "Oi, Link. What is that….? Huh?" A glow in the corner of the room distracted him, but Link did not notice or hear him. His eyes were focused on the blue ball of light. Slowly, almost unsure, he stretched his hand out towards it. It flitted over to him and tentatively settled in his hand. The thing began to stand up, as if its body had been compressed while flying, and watched Link with a small smile and almost a motherly expression. The blue light was in fact a fairy. One Link never forgot, and spent almost three years searching for. Link almost choked on his next words. "N-navi…?"


End file.
